Car flips, crashes in front of school
One man is seriously injured after a ‘‘shocking’’ crash dropped a wrecked and smoking car on the grass outside a central Palmerston North school.
Emergency services were called after a car rolled at the intersection of Pitt and Ferguson streets at 11.15am on Thursday.
Frances Bacon, who lives nearby, was heading down Ferguson St to catch the bus to Massey University when she heard a loud bang.
She turned around just in time to see the car flipping in the air before landing on the grass in front of Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School. ‘‘It was one of the most shocking things I’ve ever watched in person.’’
At first, Bacon thought it was the sudden end of a high-speed chase, because the police were right behind the crashed car.
A police spokeswoman said it was not a pursuit. A patrol car just happened to be behind the car when the crash happened.
The driver was believed to have a medical problem, which caused him to lose control.
Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School principal Hamish Ruawai said pupils were in class at the time of the crash.
Some heard police sirens and saw the flashing lights and were inquisitive, he said.
The school teachers explained what had happened to the children and Ruawai said it was great to see them react calmly and carry on as usual.
Pitt St resident Clark Ellery saw the car coming down Pitt St at high speed, just before it bounced off two parked cars and rolled.
Another witness told him the car had been swerving as it came through the intersection of Pitt and Church streets.
Ellery immediately grabbed a first-aid kit and went to see if he could help, but police told him an ambulance was on its way.
‘‘It was intense ... the wheels and brake pads were still smoking.
‘‘There was a guy still in there and the police were making sure he was all right.’’
St John Ambulance spokeswoman Karen London said the driver was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in a serious condition.