Updated: Child hurt in serious collision in York city centre

A young child has been hurt in a serious accident in York city centre.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called to the collision in Piccadilly on Saturday (19 October) shortly after 5pm.

Police and road ambulances also attended the incident.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted at 5.12pm:

• Piccadilly in York is currently closed around the area outside Spark, following a serious collision.

  Drivers & members of the public are urged to avoid the area while emergency services work at the scene.
  

Witnesses said the accident involved a bus and a young child.

An eye witness told YorkMix:

• I was on the bus. There was a big bang. Everyone thought it was someone on a bike, it was so loud.

  The bus driver slammed on the brakes. Everyone was in shock. A little kid – I believe to be around two and a half – had run out on to the road.

  When I looked the kid was on the floor.

  The bus driver was in shock. The air ambulance tried to land but couldn’t.

  We all had to stay on the bus for around an hour and half. The kid was taken away in the ambulance.

Another witness said the child looked about four, “and the bus driver was seen sat on the kerb with his head in his hands following the incident”.

She said the child was heard crying afterwards, “which is utterly awful, but at least reassurance that he was conscious”.

⁦@BBCYork⁩ ⁦@BBCLookNorth⁩ serious accident on #Piccadilly #york . Believed to involve a bus and a pedestrian. No further details at the minute. ⁦@YorkshireAirAmb⁩ tried to land but had to try to land elsewhere pic.twitter.com/jek8JRtQ91

— Elly Fiorentini (@ellyfyork) October 19, 2019

A First York bus could be seen within the taped off police cordon. It is a number 6 service to the University of York.

A spokesperson for First York said:

• I can confirm that one of our vehicles was involved in an incident yesterday.

  First York staff attended the scene and provided assistance. We continue to support the police with their enquiries.

  Our thoughts are with the injured pedestrian and their family, and we are also supporting our bus driver, who was understandably shaken by the incident.
  

Witnesses said the air ambulance tried to land at Piccadilly but couldn’t and instead landed at the Eye of York.

Bus services were diverted while the road was closed:

Service update 17:05 – Piccadilly closed due to police incident. Service 8 diverted via Clifford St not serving the stop on Piccadilly. Please board buses on Stonebow instead.

— First York (@FirstYork) October 19, 2019

Service update 17:05 – Piccadilly closed due to police incident. Services 6/9/10/11 diverted via Clifford St not serving stops on Stonebow and Peasholme Green in both directions. Staff are on site to direct customers.

— First York (@FirstYork) October 19, 2019

We don’t have any information as to the seriousness of the child’s injuries.