Guildford accident: Witnesses describe hearing screams as one-year-old girl was seriously injured by 'out of control' car

Scene: A damaged silver Volkswagen outside The Friary Centre in Guildford
Joe Nerssessian/PA
Laura Proto23 October 2015

Witnesses have described the terrifying moment screams and cries rang out as a one-year-old girl and six other people were seriously injured by an ‘out of control’ car in Guildford.

A silver Volkswagen Polo mounted the pavement outside The Friary Centre in North Street, shortly after 10.30am on Friday, colliding with several pedestrians.

Among those injured was the one-year-old girl, who was airlifted to hospital with “serious injuries”, a two-year-old boy, a man in his 60s and four women.

It is thought an elderly driver accidently hit the accelerator as they tried to brake.

Carly Stevens, 35, ran towards the scene to help after hearing the aftermath of the collision.

'Chaos': One witness said they heard screaming and crying
Joe Nerssessian/PA

She said: "I heard screeching and babies screaming and four workmen ran and took the two kids out of the buggy.

"They held them until the police and ambulance got here.

"I'm not sure if they'd been hit but they were screaming.

“It was chaos, you couldn't see because everyone ran forward to help.

"There was screaming and crying. One mum must be all right because she jumped up to grab her child.”

Another witness told GetSurrey they saw the car “lose control” and police informed them the car had suffered a fault prior to the collision.

She said: “I saw the car lose control. It mounted the pavement and took out a bollard.

"It then hit about six pedestrians, including a toddler and a baby.”

Medical help: Seven pedestrians were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital
@HIRE5_Menswea

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said six ambulance crews, four ambulance cars and two air ambulances were scrambled to the scene and seven patients were treated by paramedics before they were taken to hospital.

The spokesman added: “The casualties include a one-year-old girl who has been airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting and a man aged in his 60s who has also been airlifted to St George's Hospital.

"A woman with leg injuries has been taken to St George's Hospital by road.

"The remaining patients have all been taken to Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

“They are a two-year-old boy and three further women all of whom are not thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.”

A Surrey Police spokesman said North Street remained closed while specialist collision investigation officers carried out further enquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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