A 71-year-old woman has died after being hit by a police car.

Boksoon Kwon, 71, died in hospital on Thursday hours after she was struck by the 4WD police vehicle at Cairns, on Queensland‘s north coast, about 7am.

The Queensland Police-marked car crossed an intersection from a left-only lane and struck the elderly woman as she walked on a pedestrian crossing on a green light.

The Queensland Police Union said the three officers involved were attempting to catch an offender when they hit the woman, on the intersection of Sheridan and Lily streets, the Cairns Post reported.

An investigation will determine if the officers were performing ‘urgent duty driving’.

Officers are allowed to engage in urgent driving when responding to priority code one or two job, or if it is ‘not practicable to obtain a priority code and immediate police response to an incident is required’.

Deputy Commissioner John Tims said CCTV video – which captured the police car moments before the collision, police footage and public dashcam footage would be reviewed.

‘We’re aware there is a video out there, I’m not going to comment on it, that will form part of the investigation,’ he said.

A 71-year-old woman has died after being hit by a Queensland Police car (above) in Cairns on Thursday morning
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A 71-year-old woman has died after being hit by a Queensland Police car (above) in Cairns on Thursday morning

The woman was crossing on a green pedestrian light when she was struck
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The woman was crossing on a green pedestrian light when she was struck

Mr Tims did not confirm if the officers were responding to an emergency at the time of the collision.

‘That will form part of the investigation and so I don’t want to speculate now until we’ve got the full facts,’ he said.

‘We want to know answers, we want to be able to give answers to family and friends.’

Ms Kwon’s loved ones were being offered support by Queensland Police.

‘We are providing as much support as possible to the family of the woman,’ Mr Tims said.

‘This is an incredibly sad loss and has changed the life of a family forever.

‘It has also been felt by the officers involved and the QPS as a whole.

‘My sympathies go out to the family and friends of the 71-year-old woman.

It's unclear if the police car (pictured before the crash) was responding to an emergency
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It’s unclear if the police car (pictured before the crash) was responding to an emergency

‘Police officers go out every day to serve and protect their community. A tragedy like this is not something we want ever to see happen.’

It’s understood a sergeant and two senior constables were in the 4WD. It isn’t clear who was driving

Ms Kwon’s death will be investigated by the Ethical Standards Command, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission.

No charges have been laid.