Car plunges through barrier into subway at Elephant and Castle... but driver survives

 
Anna Dubuis26 June 2015

A driver and his female passenger had a “miracle escape” after a BMW smashed through railings at a busy roundabout, rolled onto its side and plunged 10ft into a subway ramp.

Police were today investigating the cause of the accident which happened in front of stunned commuters at the Elephant and Castle roundabout in south London at 8pm last night.

Witnesses described hearing a crash “like thunder” and seeing the car’s two occupants - a man in his 30s and a younger woman - trapped in the saloon as it lay on its side on the footpath below.

Fire crews rescued the pair who were checked over at the scene by paramedics and taken to hospital suffering minor injuries.

Jamie Smalley, 33, an entrepreneur, said: “It was unbelievable. I was in my office with the window open and it was like a crash of thunder.

“I could see an indicator light flashing in the ramp that leads to the subway. I went downstairs and I couldn’t believe a car had gone over the railings like that.

Motorbike courier Rafael Vieira, 24, filmed the aftermath of the crash on his helmet-camera.

He said: “I was just passing and went to see what had happened. It was one of the worst crashes I have seen.”

London Ambulance Service said a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were treated at the scene and taken to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in Southwark, one with a facial injury and the other with an arm injury both described as minor injuries.

Firefighters and police spent several hours moving the car out of the subway.

Police said they were investigating and that no arrests had been made.

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