Police have charged a student with dangerous driving and burglary as part of an investigation into a hit-and-run by a stolen car which killed an elderly woman.

Officers are still hunting for the driver of a stolen black Mercedes AMG estate who fled the scene after crashing into a Ford Fiesta driven by a 70-year-old woman on the A24 near Horsham, West Sussex, on Friday. She died at the scene and her friend, a female passenger also aged 70, was injured.

The driver of a second Mercedes, said to have been travelling in convoy with the other driver moments earlier before crashing into a hedge, was arrested nearby.

Isaac McFadyen has been charged with a string of offences and is due to appear in court on Monday, Sussex Police said.

The 18-year-old, of Hounslow Road, Hanworth, Feltham, was remanded in custody to appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court facing two counts of burglary, as well as charges of dangerous driving, theft of a motor vehicle, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and receiving stolen goods.

The pensioner’s car was hit by the AMG as it joined the northbound carriageway on the Farthings Hill roundabout near Broadbridge Heath just before 2.30pm.

Officers searched the area for the driver with dogs and a helicopter but to no avail.

Minutes earlier, police traced the car to the Buck Barn crossroads. Officers believe it was taken during a burglary in Goring-by-Sea.

It was seen leaving services at the A24 junction at 2.19pm in convoy with another stolen Mercedes car, an A Class, the force said.

Both cars failed to stop for officers, and at 2.23pm the Mercedes A Class crashed into a nearby hedge. The driver ran off but was arrested.

The Mercedes AMG continued to drive away and was not being pursued by police when it was involved in the fatal crash 11 minutes later.

The driver, who is believed to have tried to flag down another car for a lift shortly after, is yet to be identified.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been notified.

A spokeswoman for the police watchdog confirmed the incident had been referred and officials were working to determine what level of involvement the IPCC will have.

Anyone who knows where the driver is should call Sussex Police on 999 immediately. Witnesses or anyone with other information should call 101, quoting Operation Mantra, 684 of 10/11.