Police have arrested a man after two women were seriously hurt when they were struck by a reversing car in Southampton.
The women suffered serious head injuries in the incident in St Mary’s yesterday.
Residents and passers-by rushed to the injured women’s aid after the incident in St Mary’s.
Witnesses described hearing a noise and then seeing the women, who were described as aged between 50 and 60, in the road crying.
Medics treated the women for serious head injuries and they were taken to Southampton General Hospital.
The incident happened in Brinton’s Road, close to the junction with St Marks Road, shortly after 11.40am.
One witness said she had seen the car drive around the corner from St Marks Road into Brinton’s Road then reverse before hearing a loud screech – she said the women had been walking behind the car.
South Central Ambulance Service said they had responded to reports that a car had backed into two people.
Witnesses described how a crowd of up to 40 people trying to help the women had gathered and police cordoned off the road from its junction with Northam Road to just beyond St Marks Road. One witness said the women appeared to have been carrying shopping bags.
Major Singh, owner of the nearby U-Save convenience store, who called an ambulance, said he had seen a car reversing.
“The next thing I heard was women crying,” he said.
“I looked and said ‘oh my god’ – the two ladies were on the floor.
“The car was there and the two ladies were in the middle of the road.”
Mother-of-four Jane Neary, 35, of Brinton’s Road, said one woman was on a stretcher while another’s hair was covered in blood and she had a bandage around her head.
“That could have been my two children – my children go out there and play every day.”
Brinton’s Road resident and fatherof- four Muhammed Ali, 40, also said his children would sometimes play outside the house. “I will be very careful after this incident,” he said.
Police confirmed that a white Vauxhall Astra had hit two female pedestrians, but said their injuries were not life-threatening.
A man has been arrested for driving offences and was last night in custody.
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