Casualty airlifted to hospital after van crashes into pedestrian in Oswestry
A van crashed into a pedestrian near benches in an Oswestry town centre street with the air ambulance airlifting one casualty to hospital.
Emergency services were attending near Costa Coffee on Cross Street on Friday, where three people were assessed by ambulance staff.
One man, the pedestrian was found in a serious condition and was airlifted to Royal Stoke University Hospital, while a second man, who was sitting on a nearby bench, was hit by a statue, which was damaged in the collision. He was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
A third patient, a woman, was treated for the effects of shock before being discharged at the scene, and the driver of the van, a man, was uninjured in the incident.
The road was closed from the Redhill roundabout while West Mercia Police investigate.
Photos show a UPS van crashed into benches outside the British Heart Foundation store, and the road taped off by police while ambulance crews and police attend the scene.
Reports from the scene say that a UPS van crashed into benches and the airbag had gone off in the driver seat, and there was oil and plastic debris on the road.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: "At around 1.25pm today, officers were called to collision where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle at The Cross in Oswestry, Shropshire.
"West Midlands Ambulance and Hereford and Worcestershire Fire Services are in attendance. The extent of the injuries is not yet known The injured person was taken by air ambulance to Royal Stoke University Hospital."
One person on social media said: "A van has just ploughed into the middle of us opposite Costa! A man is currently trapped under the van."
A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We were called to reports of a collision involving a van and a pedestrian at the junction of Church Street and Cross Street at 1.25pm.
"One ambulance, a paramedic officer and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Cosford attended the scene.
"On arrival we discovered a man, the pedestrian, who was in a serious condition.
"Following treatment at the scene he was airlifted to Royal Stoke University Hospital.
"Crews were told a second man, who was sitting on a nearby bench, was hit by a statue, which was damaged in the RTC.
"He was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
"A third patient, a woman, was treated for the effects of shock before being discharged at the scene.
"The van driver, a man, was uninjured in the incident." One land ambulance and three fire engines were reported at the scene.
Julia Szmidt, 16, of Oswestry, said she saw the van go past her before it collided with a park bench and a demolished The Cross which was put up in the centre of Oswestry in 1862.
She said: "It happened so quickly. People were running to the scene and surrounded it.
"A lady with a baby was sitting on a nearby bench but she managed to jump to one side and get out of the way."
Other pedestrians spoke of hearing a crunching bang as the historic town centre cross was reduced to a pile of rubble. The UPS van showed a large dent in its front, there was oil on the pavement and signs that the driver's airbag had gone off.
The Shropshire Star spoke to a young man who said he was one of the first on the scene but he was too upset and did not wish to talk.
A group of friends sitting inside Costa just across the road spoke of hearing a loud bang and seeing details of the incident within minutes on Facebook.
Max Jones, 17, said: "I just heard a bang, a lot of noise and there were a lot of people running. There was a sound like a bench falling over."
Max's friends spoke of their parents being on the phone within minutes trying to see if they were all safe.
Eva Evans, 16, from Oswestry, said: "I saw a guy sitting down, it looked like he had a damaged arm."
Amy Brian, 16, said there were people standing at the scene recording the incident on their mobile phone. "It was on Facebook in five minutes," she said.
Another said; "People were just standing there recording it. It was so disrespectful."
Shropshire Fire and Rescue service also attended the scene and said: "Three fire appliances including the Rescue Tender were mobilised from Ellesmere, Oswestry and Wellington. An Operations officer was in attendance."
The cross was reduced to a pile of rubble and a police incident tape was put in place across the scene, including a local charity shop.
In a separate incident on Friday afternoon, the A5 in Oswestry was blocked near the Queen's Head after a mini-bus reportedly hit crash barriers.