Redditch nursery kids in 'miracle escape' after car ploughs into building

Jun 12 2011 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

SHOCKED staff have spoken of the terrifying moment a car drove through the front wall of their nursery – missing playing toddlers by INCHES.

Youngsters at Bright Kids Nursery in Redditch, Worcestershire, had a ‘miracle escape’ when the vehicle burst through the building, sending dangerous debris hurtling in all directions.

All the children escaped injury but have since been offered counselling following the crash, which caused £7,000 of damage.

Nursery worker Amanda Longmore, 33, was sat with infants when the horrifying drama unfolded at 8.30am on Thursday, June 2.

She said: “It’s a miracle none of the children were killed.

“If it had not been half-term there would have been twice the number of kids in the room and I’m certain we would have been dealing with a tragedy.

“I remember being sat on the floor with some children, two of whom were playing on a car play mat, when I heard what I thought was an explosion.

“There was a lot of rumbling and suddenly there was a smashing sound and I realised a car was coming through the wall.

“I screamed and immediately grabbed the children and got them out of the room as fast as I could.

“The debris missed the children on the mat by inches.

‘‘If it had been busier some of the children would have been directly under the window – and I do not want to think about what could have happened.”

Fellow nursery worker Abby Bastable, 20, was ushering children into the nursery on Evesham Road just before the incident, when she saw a car reverse into the outside wall.