Car Hits Costa Coffee One Dead, Several Hurt
A car is seen clipping other vehicles before smashing into the shop front, killing a 70-year-old woman who had been at the window.
An elderly woman has died and five people have been seriously injured after a car ploughed into a Costa Coffee shop.
The crash happened in Westerham, near Sevenoaks in Kent, shortly before 10.30am.
Pictures show an Audi car embedded into the front of the coffee shop.
The vehicle was reportedly seen clipping cars in the moments before the crash.
The deceased was a woman in her 70s who had been with friends or family near the window inside the shop.
A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “Our clinicians have treated six patients at the incident at Costa coffee in Westerham today.
“One sadly pronounced as deceased at scene. Five further patients (were) treated at scene and then taken to hospital – four with serious injuries and one with minor injuries.”
Witness Elle Akerman told Sky News: “I just saw an old man that was pressed against the car and an old woman outside who was crying and she had blood on her.
“I’ve heard there was a man who had a heart attack who was the driver.
“There was about 15 or 20 ambulances and the whole road has been shut off.”
The Sevenoaks Chronicle reported that the Audi A4 was occupied by an elderly couple and its roof was cut off by firefighters.
Kent Fire and Rescue said it had released two people from the car and had five crews at the scene.
Some of the less severely injured are being cared for at the nearby Grasshopper on the Green pub.
Another witness, Tony Lincoln, had been drinking coffee in a nearby shop. He told Sky News: “I ran outside, got to the door of Costa. There was debris in the way.
“One of the girls in there was quite hysterical. I said, ‘We’ve got to get people out of here’. It was absolute carnage.
“Everyone was ashen-faced and wondering how on earth it had happened.
“It was almost like a bomb had gone off.”
Kent Police tweeted: “A witness centre has been set up at The Chequers public house in High St, #Westerham following this morning’s collision in The Green.”
Costa Coffee tweeted: “We’re working w/ emergency services to offer all possible support. Thoughts are with families affected at this difficult time.”