Words by Ed King
Emergency services have confirmed two women have been taken to hospital after a “medical episode” resulted in a driver losing control of their vehicle and crashing through the frontage of Lloyds Bank on Erdington High Street.
Ambulance, police, and fire crews arrived quickly on the scene, after the terrifying accident was reported at around 12:45pm today (6 June).
From the road it could be seen that a vehicle had fully entered the High Street bank, having been brought to a stop by the internal ATM machines in the main lobby near the entrance.
A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service told Erdington Local: “We were called to reports of a car that had crashed into a building and collided with a woman on High Street in Erdington at 12.45pm, two ambulances, two paramedic officers and a MERIT trauma doctor, with a critical care paramedic, attended the scene.”
They added: “On arrival we discovered two patients. Crews were told the driver of the car, a woman, had suffered a medical episode prior to the incident. Following assessment she was transported to Good Hope Hospital.
“The second woman was treated for potentially serious injuries before being taken to Heartlands Hospital.”
Earlier in the day, after emergency services were at first the scene and responding to the situation, a statement from West Midlands Police had also confirmed: “We were called Erdington High Street just before 12.45pm after a woman was hit by a car.
“The woman, believed to be in her 80s, was taken to hospital. The car driver, in her 70s, was also taken to hospital.”
The bank remains guarded by police as a cleanup operation is underway, with the automatic doors having been smashed beyond repair by the collision.
A marble public bench, which sat on the pavement just outside the bank – in front of the ATM machine facing onto the High Street, has also been uprooted and moved from its fixed location. It was speculated that the vehicle collided with the bench before veering into the bank’s frontage.
Whilst the current status of those involved in the incident – both the driver of the car and the woman who was struck by the vehicle – remains unclear, police were seen reversing the car, a new grey Nissan Juke, out of the Lloyds Bank later in the afternoon.
The car was functioning and able to be driven without assistance, before being moved to the side of York Road to be collected by a vehicle recovery service.
On closer inspection, the car was scratched and dented along the driver’s side – but little other damage could be seen.
Police have asked for anyone with information about the incident to contact them via calling 101, and quoting log 2231.
Vehicle being driven out of Lloyds Bank on Erdington High Street after crashing through frontage