A car mounted a packed Wimbledon town centre pavement last night, injuring a woman and narrowly missing children before coming to rest inches from a shop window.

Witnesses said pedestrians dove out of the way after two cars, a grey Audi Quatro and a blue VW Golf, collided at the junction of Wimbledon Hill and Alexandra Road – spinning the Audi on to the pavement.

A Merton Police spokesman said one of the cars also struck a 45-year-old woman who was walking along the pavement. She was treated at the scene for minor injuries and not taken to hospital.

The spokesman added the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

The collision, at about 7pm, resulted in traffic chaos as surrounding roads were forced into a complete standstill and buses were emptied of passengers.

One witness said: “I was walking down the road when I heard a loud bang and screech.

“One car ended up on the pavement outside Argos facing the wrong way.

"I can’t believe no one was hurt. There were children and shoppers and people coming in and out of Argos.

"The car was inches away from smashing into the front window. The other car was left in the middle of the road.”

Argos remained open.

Did you see what happened? Leave a comment below, call 020 8722 6333 or email: newsdesk@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.