This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/24/car-crashes-into-costa-coffee-kent-westerham
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| One dead after car crashes into Costa Coffee branch in Kent | One dead after car crashes into Costa Coffee branch in Kent |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| One person has died and several people have been injured after a car crashed into a cafe in Kent, an ambulance spokeswoman said. | One person has died and several people have been injured after a car crashed into a cafe in Kent, an ambulance spokeswoman said. |
| The black Audi ploughed into the branch of Costa Coffee in market square, Westerham, at about 10.30am on Christmas Eve. | The black Audi ploughed into the branch of Costa Coffee in market square, Westerham, at about 10.30am on Christmas Eve. |
| A spokeswoman for South East Coast ambulance service said: “Our clinicians have treated six patients at the incident at Costa Coffee in Westerham today. One was sadly pronounced as deceased at scene. | A spokeswoman for South East Coast ambulance service said: “Our clinicians have treated six patients at the incident at Costa Coffee in Westerham today. One was sadly pronounced as deceased at scene. |
| “Five further patients [were] treated at the scene and then taken to hospital - four with serious injuries and one with minor injuries. | |
| “Two patients, an adult male and female, were taken by ambulance to St George’s hospital in London, both with serious injuries. Two further patients, an adult male and female, were taken by ambulance to the Princess Royal hospital in Farnborough – again both with serious injuries. An adult female with minor injuries was also taken by ambulance to Pembury hospital.” | |
| A photograph taken by a witness showed the Audi had smashed through a side window of the cafe on London Road. Bridget Rowe, who lives on the next corner, told the Sevenoaks Chronicle the crash sounded “like a bomb had gone off”. | A photograph taken by a witness showed the Audi had smashed through a side window of the cafe on London Road. Bridget Rowe, who lives on the next corner, told the Sevenoaks Chronicle the crash sounded “like a bomb had gone off”. |
| WESTERHAM: An Audi car has crashed into Costa at Market Square. Several people reportedly injured. Road closed. pic.twitter.com/EVgjT17Qb4 | WESTERHAM: An Audi car has crashed into Costa at Market Square. Several people reportedly injured. Road closed. pic.twitter.com/EVgjT17Qb4 |
| The elderly driver claimed that the car “just accelerated itself and [he] lost control”, according to one witness. | |
| Jill Probert, who works in a nearby hair salon, said the driver made the comment to a local off-duty paramedic who treated him at the scene. “A paramedic that lives down the road came in [to our shop] and said to us that apparently the driver said that all the lights came on his car, it just accelerated itself and he lost control,” she told LBC. | |
| Probert said she had also been told that the car was travelling at high speed and hit another vehicle and a bollard before crashing into the cafe. | |
| A shopworker, who did not want to be named but was left shaken by the crash, said: “It sounded horrendous. You don’t know what something is when you first hear it. It happened at around 10.30 – it’s still too shocking. The whole road has been closed off. I just want to get out of here now.” | A shopworker, who did not want to be named but was left shaken by the crash, said: “It sounded horrendous. You don’t know what something is when you first hear it. It happened at around 10.30 – it’s still too shocking. The whole road has been closed off. I just want to get out of here now.” |
| A shopkeeper said an elderly man was driving and a woman was in the passenger seat. Both were trapped when the car hit the cafe, she said. | A shopkeeper said an elderly man was driving and a woman was in the passenger seat. Both were trapped when the car hit the cafe, she said. |
| The woman, who did not want to be named, said she rushed outside her shop to see what had happened after hearing a loud bang. “There was just an enormous gust of wind and I thought it was that, and then we all went out thinking something had fallen over and it was a vehicle in the coffee shop,” she said. | The woman, who did not want to be named, said she rushed outside her shop to see what had happened after hearing a loud bang. “There was just an enormous gust of wind and I thought it was that, and then we all went out thinking something had fallen over and it was a vehicle in the coffee shop,” she said. |
| “It’s been a busy day and the town’s quite subdued at the moment. There’s two helicopters circling overhead and the road is still closed.” | “It’s been a busy day and the town’s quite subdued at the moment. There’s two helicopters circling overhead and the road is still closed.” |
| Several ambulances and at least two fire engines were at the scene, according to witnesses. | Several ambulances and at least two fire engines were at the scene, according to witnesses. |
| Someone has just driven a car straight into costa coffee in Westerham. Madness. pic.twitter.com/Rs0jwhnlFH | Someone has just driven a car straight into costa coffee in Westerham. Madness. pic.twitter.com/Rs0jwhnlFH |
| A police spokesman said: “Kent police were called at 10.32am on December 24 to reports a car had collided with a property in The Green, Westerham. | A police spokesman said: “Kent police were called at 10.32am on December 24 to reports a car had collided with a property in The Green, Westerham. |
| “Police officers, South East Coast ambulance service and Kent fire and rescue service are at the scene and there are several reported injuries. The road has been closed.” | “Police officers, South East Coast ambulance service and Kent fire and rescue service are at the scene and there are several reported injuries. The road has been closed.” |
| In a statement, a Costa Coffee spokesman said: “We can confirm that a tragic accident occurred at our Westerham store this morning. Our thoughts are with the families who have been affected by this very sad and shocking event. We’re working with the emergency services to offer all possible support during the rescue efforts. We are deeply shocked by what has happened.” |