EIGHT young people have been taken to hospital after a crash in Essex.

EIGHT young people have been taken to hospital after a crash in Essex.

The accident, on Tryone Road, Thorpe Bay, near Southend, happened shortly after 10pm last night.

Emergency services said a car had left the road, hit a tree and gone through a wall, injuring some pedestrians.

Police requested the attendance of fire crews to provide lighting to the scene as they searched the residential street for casualties.

Because of the scale of the incident, firefighters assisted in the search with torchlights and provided back up first aid.

Dozens of young people were in the area at the time for an event and witnessed the aftermath of the accident.

Southend Station Commander Martyn Hodder said: "It appears the car had left the road, hit a tree and gone through a wall into a front garden and was involved in a collision with the pedestrians - all youngsters of around 18-20 years - along the way.

“No-one was trapped in the vehicle, but we provided lighting at the scene, made the vehicle safe and provided back up to Police and Ambulance teams, assisting paramedics with casualties and helping Police preserve the scene.”