Nine taken to hospital after car ploughs into pupils

The casualties, thought to include a lollipop lady, were taken to two hospitals following the collision near Rhoose Primary School in the Vale of Glamorgan, which happened as children were arriving for lessons yesterday.

There were traumatic scenes in the aftermath of the crash amid panic and confusion that a gun had been fired.

The 61-year-old driver of the Audi involved in the collision, who was among those injured, was last night assisting South Wales Police with their investigation into what a force spokesman said “was not believed to be a deliberate act”. He is thought to have been taking his grandson to school.

Coun Jeffrey James, who was at the scene soon after the crash and spoke with emergency services personnel, said: “The driver has apparently said he had a coughing fit and hit the accelerator instead of the brake and lurched, hitting the crossing attendant and the children waiting to cross or starting to cross.

“He must have swerved and then tipped over the car. It was on its roof.”

Four more seriously injured children and two adults with fractures were taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where a nine-year-old girl was being treated in intensive care. None are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

Two adults and another child, all with minor injuries, were taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

Glenys Watson runs the Coffee Time cafe just yards from where the accident happened. She comforted traumatised mothers and children who came into her shop in shock within minutes of the accident.

In the confused aftermath some mothers thought a gun had been fired and a shout went out for people to “run”, she said.

She added: “One mother told me that people heard a big bang and thought a gun had been fired. They all ran. Nobody knew what was happening.

“This is a sleepy little village, nothing like this ever happens here. It’s only ever busy when the school goes in in the morning and comes out in the afternoon.

“But when I arrived everything was silence. It was a total contrast to normal.”

She said that within minutes, mothers and children began arriving at the cafe, some in tears.

“Mums started coming in the shop and were quite traumatised, everybody was shaking, the children were trembling.

“I can’t tell you how I feel myself at the moment. It’s terrible.”

She said that from what people had told her, the car involved appeared to have skidded and lost control as it approached the lollipop lady as she escorted a party of children across the road.

Natalie Morgan arrived at the school to drop off her daughter to be greeted by a scene of devastation. “I was on the scene within a minute of it all happening and children were very distraught and upset.

“I tried to hide what had happened from my daughter and took her in because the school wanted to carry on as usual.”

Salvo Cannatella immediately set out for the school from where he works at a bank in Cardiff as soon as he heard what had happened.

His son is dropped off at a local creche at 8am and taken by minibus to the primary school in a group of eight or nine children later on. “I was really concerned because I heard nine people had been injured,” he said.

He said the bus carrying his son had dropped him off “literally a minute before the accident”, by which time he was safe inside.

Many who heard the accident had thought the bang caused by the car was a gun shot, he said.

“There was a lot of chaos and panic and I think the school did really well to shield them from all that. You don’t want your children to experience that kind of thing,” Mr Cannatella added.

“A lot of the teachers came outside to help families and parents. They did a good job because it was all quite devastating.”

Mother Mary Williams said: “The feeling among parents at the school is just one of total shock.

“I really hate to think what could have happened. I am hoping and praying that everyone is fine.

“At the moment people just want to get their children home and check that they are OK. That is the priority.”