By Roddy AshworthA MAN was seriously injured and a number of vehicles damaged when a car driven by an elderly woman went out of control as she tried to park.

By Roddy Ashworth

A MAN was seriously injured and a number of vehicles damaged when a car driven by an elderly woman went out of control as she tried to park.

The accident happened just before 9am yesterday when a green Daihatsu driven by the 78-year-old woman shot across the car park of the Lindhill Honda garage in Colchester.

Four vehicles were damaged and a 40-year-old worker at the Ipswich Road garage was struck and dragged along by the car.

The worker, who comes from Colchester, suffered a serious break to the left femur in his thigh and was taken to the town's general hospital for treatment.

The woman - who has not been named, but who lives in the Colchester area - was also treated at the hospital for shock.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said: “A female driver was in her green Daihatsu and trying to park.

“Due to something unfortunate, it appears that instead of braking, she accelerated, collided with a wall, and then went forward into four stationary cars and a pedestrian, who was taken to hospital.”

Ashley Ager, sales manager at the garage, said: “We are very concerned about the two people involved. Our thoughts are with them.

“We were fortunate not to have a fatality on our hands because the car ended up very close to where our employee was lying. We understand he has broken his leg, which will take months to heal.”

He added: “Four cars were damaged. One had been sold and the other three were display cars. Two were new and two were about a year old.

“One of them is probably a write-off. The lady's car was taken away, but it was quite badly damaged at both front and rear.”

Mr Ager praised the swift response from the emergency services to the accident and said the paramedics who attended were “fantastic”.

Essex Ambulance Service said it had sent two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance manager to the garage at about 8.42am.

Paramedic Stuart Rhind said: “The man has suffered a serious injury, but is lucky it was not an awful lot worse as he was dragged across the car park by the car.”

roddy.ashworth@eadt.co.uk