- .Car crashed into people in a field by Westgate Community College in Newcastle
- .Site used as overflow car park by worshippers from Newcastle Central Mosque
- .Witnesses said woman had been praying in mosque before returning to her car
- .She went to move off but 'pressed the gas rather than the break' and lost control
- .Hit 6 people including three children before coming to a halt by edge of the field
- .Driver was arrested by police although officers say incident is not terror related
- .Mosque thanked the emergency services and offered its prayers for the victims
Six people were injured including three children when a car careered out of control in a field full of Muslim worshippers who had been celebrating the end of Ramadan.
The vehicle ploughed into people who had packed into a college playing field that was serving as an overflow car park for Newcastle Central Mosque at 9.14am.
Witnesses the driver, a 42-year-old Muslim woman, had got into her car after prayers when she 'pressed the gas rather than the break' and sped into the crowds.
Bloodied bystanders fled in horror as the car sped around the field before a heroic bystander jumped in an pulled the handbrake.
The woman was arrested and was taken into police custody but police said the incident is not terror related.
The vehicle ploughed into people who had packed into a college playing field that was serving as an overflow car park for Newcastle Central Mosque at 9.14am
Witnesses the driver, a 42-year-old Muslim woman, had got into her car in the playing field by Westgate Community College when she 'pressed the gas rather than the break'
Bloodied bystanders fled in horror as the car sped around the field before stopping by a path. The woman was arrested and police said the incident is not terror related
Newcastle Central Mosque, where worshippers were celebrating Eid this morning, is less than a mile away from Westgate Community Centre, where the crash happened
Video shows police comforting crowds of worshippers after the incident, which included a man who was bleeding from his arm.
The incident sparked panic just a week after suspected terrorist Darren Osborne, 47, deliberately drove into worshippers outside Finsbury Park Mosque in London.
Witness Uman Nyanzi said: 'It was a complete freak accident. She was praying with us just before this all happened.
'She was in the car and she was speaking to someone literally just seconds before the accident.
'To me it looked like she pressed the gas instead of the brake and she lost control.
'The car started spinning. It was quite unbelievable. Someone had to jump in the car and pull the handbrake up to make it stop.
'The first person it knocked was a little boy and he was bleeding really heavily from his shoulder. His mother was hysterical and very distressed.'
Mr Nyzani said he saw several other victims lying nearby, adding: 'There was another boy lying near to him and two gentlemen.
'One man looked to have a leg injury and the other was holding his side. It was a terrible terrible accident. I will pray for that little boy.
'I don't know the family but we might go visit him in hospital. It was one split second of accident or indecision.'
Newcastle Central Mosque said: 'We thank the emergency medical services, the police and over 100 volunteers from the mosque for their quick response to the incident'
A police officer guarding the car behind a blue and white plastic line in Westgate Community College
This video shows people gathering near the scene of the crash as emergency services tended to the wounded
Hundreds of children were in the field when the car lost control, causing people to run away in panic
One witness told the Newcastle Chronicle: 'This was the Eid celebrations, the end of Ramadan. It was the end of prayers and we were greeting each other.
'A woman was driving and the car just drove into the people. The car was moving on and people tried to stop it.'
The witness claimed one of the injured was 'about ten-years-old' and two people were 'very seriously' hurt.
Umar Nyanzi told the Chronicle the car was eventually stopped when someone jumped in and pulled the handbrake on
Mohammed Wattra said he saw a victim, possible a child, trapped under the vehicle when it came to a stop.
A witness, known as Dr Afsar, told the BBC: 'I was at a car park when I heard screaming so I ran towards the community college just a couple of minutes from me.
'When I went over I saw that there was a very young teenager covered in blood; another very young teenager also looked injured.
The North East ambulance service confirmed it is dealing with casualties and a police helicopter was scrambled
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: 'On Sunday June 25, at approx 9.14am Northumbria Police received reports that a vehicle had collided with pedestrians outside Westgate Sports Centre'
The spokesman added: 'Police inquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what happened but, at this time, it is not believed to be a terror incident'
'There was a middle-aged man outside the community college with facial injuries and blood all over his face.'
A Northumbria Police spokesman said: 'On Sunday June 25, at approx 9.14am Northumbria Police received reports that a vehicle had collided with pedestrians outside of Westgate Sports Centre.
'Police inquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what happened but, at this time, it is not believed to be a terror incident.
'Emergency services are currently at the scene and six casualties have been confirmed.
'Police have arrested a 42 -year-old woman who is currently in police custody.'
Police previously said five people had been injured in the incident but they upped this number to six
An Ambulance service spokesman said: 'We have taken six people to hospital, they have gone to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, three children and three adults'
A North East Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We received our first 999 call at 9.15 this morning to report a car that had mounted the kerb.
'We have taken six people to hospital, they have gone to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, three children and three adults.'
Newcastle Central Mosque said: 'Immediately after the Eid prayers when the people were starting to leave the venue, a car collided with pedestrians.
'The injured were immediately attended to by the emergency medical services and the police. All the injured have been taken to the hospital.
'We pray and hope that all those affected recover soon fully.
'We thank the emergency medical services, the police and over 100 volunteers from the mosque for their quick response to the incident.'
Any witnesses or anyone with any information please contact Northumbria Police on 101 quoting reference number 277 25/06/17.
Newcastle Central Mosque said: 'Immediately after the Eid prayers when the people were starting to leave the venue, a car collided with pedestrians'
It wrote on Facebook: 'We thank the emergency medical services, the police and over 100 volunteers from the mosque for their quick response to the incident'
No comments:
Post a Comment