A woman is in critical condition after a car mounted the pavement and smashed into outdoor seating at a popular café on Upper Street, one of Islington’s busiest high streets, during Thursday morning’s rush hour.
The incident occurred just before 8am outside the Mediterranean eatery Pera Schnitzel Garden, near Islington Town Hall, following a three-vehicle collision. Emergency services – including police, ambulance crews, and firefighters – raced to the scene, where four people were treated for injuries.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as the car veered off the road, slamming into the outdoor dining area. A father and son, who had been working in a nearby van for a maintenance firm, said they saw the suspected driver attempt to flee on foot. The pair gave chase and managed to detain him until police arrived.
Speaking anonymously to the Metro, the father said: “My son got to him and started hitting him but it wasn’t doing anything. Then he hit my son in the face and I pinned him down. It felt like forever for the police to come. Everyone was standing there and watching.”
The dramatic aftermath was also witnessed by staff at nearby businesses. A store manager at Superette, located close to the crash site, told the Standard: “At first, it looked like a fight had broken out. Then we heard the collision and saw people screaming and running away.”
According to the London Fire Brigade, two cars were involved in the initial impact, with a third vehicle careering off course and crashing into the building and an unsuspecting pedestrian.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed that four individuals were treated at the scene, with two being rushed to a major trauma centre and the other two transported to hospital for further care. Among them was the driver of one of the vehicles – a man in his 20s – who has since been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
One of the victims, a female passenger in her 40s, remains in hospital in a life-threatening condition. The driver of the second car, a man whose age has not yet been confirmed, also required medical attention but is understood to be in a stable condition.
A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 7.57am to reports of a road traffic collision in Upper Street, Islington. We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and London’s Air Ambulance. Our first crew arrived within one minute.
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“Our teams treated four patients on scene before transporting two to a major trauma centre and two to hospital.”
The stretch of Upper Street near the town hall remained cordoned off for several hours while police carried out forensic work and removed the damaged vehicles.
Pera Schnitzel Garden, the restaurant caught up in the chaos, posted on social media: “There was an accident right in front of our shop today, and unfortunately, we’ve learned that there were some injuries. We’re sending our heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to everyone involved. We will remain closed today but hope to reopen tomorrow.”
Detectives are appealing for witnesses or anyone with mobile phone or dashcam footage of the incident to come forward as they continue their investigation into what caused the devastating crash.
Islington Council is also expected to review road safety measures along the busy stretch, which is home to numerous cafes, shops, and restaurants, and often teeming with early-morning foot traffic.
