12:30pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
By Claire Fox
It was a miracle no one was killed as this coach crashed into six vehicles before smashing into shop fronts in Carshalton High Street on Friday.
It came to a halt – an awning speared through its windscreen – outside the Mortgage Store, only after pushing several vehicles 30ft along the road.
The coach had torn the canopy off Naturally Thinking aromatherapy shop, which went through its windscreen. It then scraped past Carshalton Antique Galleries before going into the Mortgage Store.
One car, driven by Thomas Tucker of Streatham Vale, was shunted along smashing into other cars before crashing into the shops near the end of High Street. Mr Tucker amazed on-lookers by climbing out of his car with only minor injuries.
Witnesses said children were haranguing the driver of the coach just before the crash. It is alleged they were trying to get on to the coach through an emergency exit.
Police arrested three youths, who have been bailed while police enquiries continue. The coach driver has not been arrested.
Seven people, described as walking wounded, were taken to St Helier Hospital.
A spokesman for Westbus said the driver and five passengers on the coach were shaken but not injured.
The crash also raised environmental concerns after diesel leaked out of the coach and ran down the road into the pond.
A spokesman for the Environment Agency praised the quick response of firefighters, who managed to protect the birds on the pond by placing booms on to the water to contain the diesel.
The pond has been given the all-clear but the diesel damaged the road surface so badly Transport for London had to resurface part of the high street over the weekend.
The street was closed until 7pm on Saturday.
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