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

Local woman Boksoon Kwon, 71, died in hospital on Thursday after being struck by the 4WD police car in Cairns, north Queensland, about 7am. 

The Queensland Police 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 th 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.