'Screams and tears' as car mounts pavement and injures seven

Witnesses have described a scene of "screaming and crying" after a car driven by an elderly driver hit seven pedestrians outside a shopping centre including a one-year-old girl who has been airlifted to hospital.

The baby suffered "serious injuries" following the accident involving a silver Volkswagen Polo which mounted the pavement outside The Friary Centre in Guildford, Surrey, at 10.38am.

The casualties included a two-year-old boy, a man in his 60s and four women.

Witness Carly Stevens, 35, heard screaming and ran towards the crash just after it happened.

She said: "There was an old couple driving and they went to brake but must have hit the accelerator."

She added: "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."

Ms Stevens added: "The old couple were talking, I'm pretty sure it was the woman driving. She must have gone into shock because she had a silver thing wrapped round her."

A South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) spokesman said: "SECAmb can confirm that it responded to reports of a vehicle hitting a number of pedestrians in North Street, Guildford, at approximately 10.40am today.

"Six ambulance crews, four ambulance cars attended the scene along with the two air ambulances. Seven patients have been treated and taken to hospital.

"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 sixties 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 witness told the GetSurrey website that she saw the car collide with six people, including a toddler and a baby.

She added that police had informed her that the car had suffered a fault, causing the incident.

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."

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "The collision took place in North Street outside the main entrance to The Friary Centre.

"A silver VW Polo left the road and was involved in a collision with a number of pedestrians.

"Emergency services quickly attended and remain at the scene. Road closures are in place in the immediate vicinity and motorists and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area until further notice."

The spokesman added: "Police can confirm that a man and a woman and a one-year-old girl have been taken by ambulance to St George's Hospital in Tooting with what are believed to be serious injuries.

"A further four people, three women and a two-year-old boy, have been taken by ambulance to The Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford with what are believed to be minor injuries.

"The road remains closed whilst specialist collision investigation officers carry out further enquiries as part of an ongoing investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident."