My lucky escape from runaway car

James Robertson alongside the stricken car.

A STUNNED pedestrian had a lucky escape yesterday when a runaway car crashed into traffic lights only feet away from him.

James Robertson, from Moorside, was walking along Union Street back to his car parked near the former B&Q store when he heard a crash behind him.

He turned round and was shocked to see a Volkswagen Golf GT Sport had crashed straight into the traffic light he had just passed, narrowly missing him and knocking it over to a 45 degree angle.

When the shocked father-of-two peered into the car, there was no driver to be seen.

James (40) said: “I’d just crossed the road at 11.30am to pick up my car when I heard a big thud behind me.

“I thought ‘what the heck is that?’

“It was only when I turned round that I saw the car, it had no driver, no nothing inside.

“It was only the lights that had stopped it. I’m stunned.”

PCSO Lee Lockwood was the first officer on the scene.

He said the car had been parked outside Pickwicks pub in Yorkshire Street.

It had somehow rolled through a red light, crossed oncoming traffic driving up Union Street towards the town centre, and slammed into the lights.

He said: “It was very lucky that no-one was struck by this runaway car, either vehicle or pedestrians.”

The car’s owner had parked in a pay-and-display spot and was browsing in Zohm Uomo fashion clothes store in Yorkshire Street when the incident happened.

She suddenly realised her car was missing and rushed outside to find it dozens of yards from where she parked it.

A police spokesman said the crash caused a diesel spillage from the car that had to be cleared up but the incident was not a police matter and would be dealt with by insurers.