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| Stevenage 'car cruise' crash leaves 17 injured | Stevenage 'car cruise' crash leaves 17 injured |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Seventeen people have been injured after two cars crashed at a "car cruise" gathering and ploughed into spectators. | Seventeen people have been injured after two cars crashed at a "car cruise" gathering and ploughed into spectators. |
| The vehicles collided on Monkswood Way, Stevenage, at about 21:45 BST on Thursday leaving two seriously injured and 15 more hurt. | |
| One of the charity event's organisers described the "horrific" crash as a "nightmare". | One of the charity event's organisers described the "horrific" crash as a "nightmare". |
| Police have asked witnesses to send footage of the crash to detectives. | Police have asked witnesses to send footage of the crash to detectives. |
| Video footage shows one car passing another before the two collide and one strikes people standing at the roadside while the other hits spectators in the central reservation. | |
| The East of England Ambulance Service said some of the people had been seriously hurt. | The East of England Ambulance Service said some of the people had been seriously hurt. |
| One witness said on Twitter: "I've just witnessed that horrendous crash in Stevenage, no more than 50ft away from me. I'm still trying to process it all." | One witness said on Twitter: "I've just witnessed that horrendous crash in Stevenage, no more than 50ft away from me. I'm still trying to process it all." |
| Hertfordshire Police said it was investigating and no-one had been arrested. | Hertfordshire Police said it was investigating and no-one had been arrested. |
| Ch Insp Alicia Shaw said the force had not been aware of the event or the size of the gathering. | |
| She said: "We weren't aware of this event taking place and we weren't aware of such large numbers attending the Stevenage area." | |
| Ch Insp Shaw said officers had attended events in the past and handed out warnings or seized cars when they were being driven in a dangerous of manner. | |
| A group called Cruise-Herts had said it was holding a cruise event on Thursday where people would gather to look at modified cars. | A group called Cruise-Herts had said it was holding a cruise event on Thursday where people would gather to look at modified cars. |
| Organiser Rix Sidhu said he had been organising similar meets for 17 years and the gathering was held to raise money for charity. | Organiser Rix Sidhu said he had been organising similar meets for 17 years and the gathering was held to raise money for charity. |
| He estimated one of the cars that crashed was travelling at 60 or 70mph and then went into the crowd "at speed". | He estimated one of the cars that crashed was travelling at 60 or 70mph and then went into the crowd "at speed". |
| An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: "There were a number of people in the area at the time and 17 people are presently being treated for injuries, some of which are serious." | An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said: "There were a number of people in the area at the time and 17 people are presently being treated for injuries, some of which are serious." |
| Mr Sidhu said: "We held the meet in a car park with a speed bump at the entrance. But unfortunately some people went a bit rogue. | Mr Sidhu said: "We held the meet in a car park with a speed bump at the entrance. But unfortunately some people went a bit rogue. |
| "We try and stop that, we urge people...not to go out on the roads, not to risk injury or anything. | "We try and stop that, we urge people...not to go out on the roads, not to risk injury or anything. |
| "But unfortunately, in this age of social media and Snapchat, people want to get footage and post things to their friends, which seems to drive some people to the main road." | "But unfortunately, in this age of social media and Snapchat, people want to get footage and post things to their friends, which seems to drive some people to the main road." |
| 'Nightmare' | |
| In a statement on Facebook he said they would not be organising any more such events. | In a statement on Facebook he said they would not be organising any more such events. |
| Fellow organiser Dean Summerbee, 34, said people attending had been warned not to race or do wheel spins and burnouts. | Fellow organiser Dean Summerbee, 34, said people attending had been warned not to race or do wheel spins and burnouts. |
| He said: "It was horrific seeing it last night. It still plays over in my head in slow motion. I literally had to pull my mate out of the way. | He said: "It was horrific seeing it last night. It still plays over in my head in slow motion. I literally had to pull my mate out of the way. |
| "My thoughts go out to everyone who has been hurt. It's not something I'd like to relive again. | "My thoughts go out to everyone who has been hurt. It's not something I'd like to relive again. |
| "I was extremely close to the crash, less than 15ft away. I feel sorry for anyone who witnessed it. It was a nightmare last night." | "I was extremely close to the crash, less than 15ft away. I feel sorry for anyone who witnessed it. It was a nightmare last night." |
| The single carriageway section of A-road passes a retail park near Stevenage Football Club. | The single carriageway section of A-road passes a retail park near Stevenage Football Club. |
| Tom Adams, who lives in Welwyn Garden City and arrived shortly after the crash, said he knew the organisers "dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts" and it was "not just a gathering of hooligans" but the event had been let down by a "bunch of boy racers". | Tom Adams, who lives in Welwyn Garden City and arrived shortly after the crash, said he knew the organisers "dotted all the Is and crossed all the Ts" and it was "not just a gathering of hooligans" but the event had been let down by a "bunch of boy racers". |
| He said: "I can't disagree with that stigma of boy racers. There is a select group of people that have no consideration for other people and unfortunately that has come back to bite us." | He said: "I can't disagree with that stigma of boy racers. There is a select group of people that have no consideration for other people and unfortunately that has come back to bite us." |
| Ciaran O'Connor, 33, was travelling home when he witnessed the crash. | Ciaran O'Connor, 33, was travelling home when he witnessed the crash. |
| He said: "We saw the fast car coming towards them and there was just a scene of kids lying in the road, some of them motionless and people around them trying to help them. It was horrific." | He said: "We saw the fast car coming towards them and there was just a scene of kids lying in the road, some of them motionless and people around them trying to help them. It was horrific." |
| Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews had cut free one person trapped in a vehicle and provided "trauma care" to a number of injured people. | Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews had cut free one person trapped in a vehicle and provided "trauma care" to a number of injured people. |
| The air ambulance was also sent to the scene. | The air ambulance was also sent to the scene. |
| Stevenage Borough Council leader Sharon Taylor said such events were unauthorised and hard to regulate. | |
| She said: "We will do whatever we can to make sure we don't get dreadful incidents like this. | |
| "It's not an easy thing to regulate. Nobody says to us "we want to have an event" if they had done that we would have put all the safety measures in place that we can. | |
| "These are unauthorised events, they happen all over the country, we will do whatever we can to stop them happening in Stevenage but it's not the easiest thing to tackle." | |
| At the scene | At the scene |
| By Adam Jinkerson, BBC News | By Adam Jinkerson, BBC News |
| Last night there were hundreds of people here, but this morning the only sign anything happened is an abundance of skidmarks in the adjacent car park - and police markings on the road at the scene of the accident. | Last night there were hundreds of people here, but this morning the only sign anything happened is an abundance of skidmarks in the adjacent car park - and police markings on the road at the scene of the accident. |
| There are yellow spray-painted markings that seem to indicate where the two cars involved were travelling, the point at which they met - and where they came to rest. | There are yellow spray-painted markings that seem to indicate where the two cars involved were travelling, the point at which they met - and where they came to rest. |
| Some of those markings are on the pavement. | Some of those markings are on the pavement. |
| I can also see that first aid was given here. | I can also see that first aid was given here. |
| There are are a few bits of medical paraphernalia left among the rubbish, which is now the only other evidence of how many people were gathered here last night. | There are are a few bits of medical paraphernalia left among the rubbish, which is now the only other evidence of how many people were gathered here last night. |
| Throughout the morning young people have been turning up to collect their vehicles but they have been too upset to talk about what happened. | |
| Did you witness the crash? If you feel able to do so please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Did you witness the crash? If you feel able to do so please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below: | Or use the form below: |