A runaway car ploughed into market day shoppers in busy Bank Street, Braintree, injuring three pedestrians.
A 51-year-old Braintree woman was trapped beneath the silver Ford Galaxy people carrier, thought to have been parked further up the road on Wednesday.
Six passers-by and a man with a car jack heaved the one and a half tonne vehicle off the woman, who was taken by air ambulance to Colchester General Hospital, with suspected spinal injuries.
The helicopter had to land half a mile away on the site of the town's new skatepark in Coggeshall Road.
Two other pedestrians were also hurt and taken to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford. A woman was said to be suffering from ankle and shoulder injuries, while a man received cuts.
Police said: "The vehicle was parked and unattended when it rolled backwards and travelled 30 feet downhill. Police are trying to establish exactly what made it roll.
Butcher Mark Cleverley, 22, who works nearby, said: "I saw the car going in reverse, rolling backwards "I think it hit two ladies. It went over one and knocked the other lady out of the way. Another man collapsed.
"I heard everyone screaming and saw a woman laying underneath shouting 'get it off me'. She must have been under there for five minutes.
Mr Cleverley said he thought the woman was struck from behind as she walked down the street with other shoppers just after 1pm
The woman, who has not been named, is said to have serious, but not life-threatening injuries
Published Thursday, June 12, 2003
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