Elderly couple injured in Shrewsbury car park horror

They were standing by the boot of their car when another vehicle reversed into them.

The grey Hyundai Matrix then dragged the woman several yards and collided with parked cars before stopping.

The drama happened in front of horrified shoppers in the Co-operative car park, in Radbrook, Shrewsbury.

It is believed the driver was an elderly woman who lost control of her automatic vehicle when she pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

The injured couple are both in their 80s. They had just finished their weekly shop on Saturday morning when they were hit.

The woman suffered serious facial, head, arm and leg injuries and was airlifted to University Hospital North Staffordshire.

Her husband suffered cuts to his face, arms and legs together with a chest injury. He was driven by ambulance to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

John and Gaina Smith, of Special Day Shop, were among the first people on the scene, in Bank Farm Road.

Mr Smith said: "I heard a bang. A lady was reversing and hit a yellow car, which was pushed into a silver car."

"I came out with blankets and a duvet that was in my car, which I put under the old lady's head, who was unconscious.

"The man's leg was badly cut. They are a really nice couple who were just out doing their Saturday morning shop."

Anna Callow, who has worked in the sewing and knitting shop, Anca, for three-and-a-half years, added: "A lady who was driving an automatic car appears to have hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

"She was also going the wrong way round the one-way car park.

"The elderly couple had just finished their shopping. They would not have expected the car to be coming the wrong direction.

"The car hit them and sent the woman flying about 10 feet down the car park. She then drove into three parked cars.

"The old man had two injured legs, cuts on his head and a badly bruised face. I took some towels out and wrapped them round his legs, which is how I know about the injuries."

Jazmin Green, who works at Fleurtation Florists, said: "It was an elderly lady driving.

"She knocked into an elderly couple and then hit three cars, but the couple got the full force.

"The air ambulance landed in Meole Brace School and the woman was driven around in an ambulance.

"Nothing like this has happened before. It was a really shocking scene."

Matthew Seadon, from Shrewsbury, said the car park was still cordoned off after 12.30pm and he saw a police helicopter hovering above the scene.

Police spent a number of hours in the car park following the accident carrying out investigations.

Pc Richard Owen, the investigating officer, said: "As with all collisions where someone has been badly hurt, we will carry out inquiries to establish exactly what happened.

"I would appeal to anyone who was using the shop at the time and witnessed the incident to call us straight away."

He urged any witnesses to contact the police non emergency number on 101.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "Crews arrived to find a husband and wife, both thought to be in their 80s, who had been struck by a car.

"An off duty nurse was providing excellent first aid to the couple before crews arrived, which was a big help."