A FAMILY miraculously escaped with their lives from an horrific six-car pile-up which killed a Leyton woman and left others seriously injured.

Barmaid Carly Flasher, 19, her mother Catharine Flasher, 45, and stepfather Kevin Stratford, 47, of Bushfields in Loughton were among the many people injured in the crash in Bethnal Green Road, east London, at about 3.45am on Sunday.

It happened as police, in an unmarked car, pursued a Mercedes 4x4 which they saw being driven erratically along the busy stretch.

The Mercedes careered into at least six vehicles, including a Vauxhall Corsa car.

A passenger in the Corsa, Raquel Williams, 31, from Leyton, died at the scene, and the driver and her baby remains in hospital in critical conditions.

Mrs Flasher is still in hospital after undergoing a four-hour operation for cuts on her leg while Carly and Kevin are recovering at home from the whiplash injuries they suffered as the black cab they had boarded after a night at a pub was caught up in the carnage.

An emotional Carly told the Guardian: "I'm shattered because I can't sleep properly since it happened - I keep having terrible flashbacks.

"It's horrible seeing the images of the smashed up cars on the news.

"It still doesn't feel real.

"It all happened so quickly and it felt like being in a bumper car.

"All you could hear were crashes and then people started screaming.

"We were thrown about and I remember tasting salt in my mouth.

"I realised I had bitten my tongue and it was bleeding quite badly.

"I stumbled out of the taxi and someone we knew came running up to us.

"They helped me call a taxi and we were taken to hospital."

Carly, a student at Epping Forest College in Borders Lane, Loughton, added: "Obviously we have been hurt, and I am still very worried about my mum, but it could have been a lot worse."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the cause of the crash.

A man and a woman, both aged 21, were arrested following the incident and have been released without charge and bailed to report to police in late April and early May.

Jake Collis, 22, of Cheshunt, in Hertfordshire, was due to appear before Clapham magistrates on Wednesday, accused of causing the death of Raquel Williams by dangerous driving.