A lorry crashed into a town centre bus shelter this morning, injuring one person and causing traffic chaos.
A person was reportedly "grazed" when the shelter was hit in Waterloo Road opposite Nando’s in Epsom town centre in the past hour.
The driver of the Bidvest Logistics lorry said he had been making a food delivery to Nando's at the time of the crash.
He said: "I stopped to ask the customer where to park. As I turned out of the bus stop to reverse in, the lorry caught the corner of the bus stop.
"It was a silly error. I was looking out for traffic and was not watching the back. I'm gutted."
Staff at Nando's referred questions to the company's press office.
Councillor Neil Dallen, who arrived at the wreckage just after the crash, said: “ There was an old lady in the bus stop who was very shaken but not badly damaged.
“I think that lorries reversing ought to have a banksman – somebody standing behind the lorry directing the driver.”
Earlier witness Rosemary Najim said: "The lorry reversed into the bus shelter. All the glass is all over the road. They have got the road closed off and there are about five police cars."
The lorry leaving the Nandos after the smash (above)
Ms Najim said a policeman told her that someone at the bus shelter was "fortunately only grazed" and escaped serious injury.
She described the vehicle as a "long delivery-type lorry".
Epsom and Ewell Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team posted on Facebook: "A lorry had reversed into the bus stop outside Nandos.
"One elderly lady has suffered cuts and grazes to her leg, but is doing well."
Shieeeeuuuut this is a thing that just happened. Yo @epsomguardian fill me in pic.twitter.com/ysmUKEUiDR
— Sophoo Pongolloo (@SophIsLame) March 2, 2015
Just had a near death experience
— Yeezus (@ChildishJeff) March 2, 2015
Janet Burgess, who lives in nearby Horsley Close, said: "It’s causing havoc in Epsom with the traffic.
"The incident response team are there and they are down Waterloo Road directing traffic the other way."
Conservative campaigner Ms Najim, who is set to stand for election as an Epsom councillor in Town ward, opposes a proposed supermarket development in the area.
She said: "This is why I’m against a massive supermarket on the Upper High Street development. There’s no room for big delivery lorries."
Robin Kilic, manager at the nearby Epsom Grill, said the road was blocked off when he tried to park for work at 11am.
Mr Kilic said: "As far as I know, the lorry hit the bus shelter and someone was in there."
He said lorries reverse into that space and the parking area by the Co-op all the time, adding: "It's dangerous. It's a busy road."
An employee at Dispatch Cars said he has raised the issue with the council because lorries deliver to the Co-op about six times a day.
He said: "It's so dangerous. I do think one day it's going to cause an accident."
Did you see what happened? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6337 or email newsdesk@epsomguardian.co.uk
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