Car crash scenes filmed for BBC One drama Casualty in Pill, Newport

Sally Wallis, who watched the drama unfold, said there had been a large crowd watching the action on Commercial Road in Pill.

It was staged at about 2pm on Sunday afternoon after what Mrs Wallis said was “lots of behind the scenes action” before filming could start.

Shots of cars zooming down Commercial Street were filmed first. Then a silver saloon car crashing into a portable office in front of the Chicken Cottage takeaway was completed in one take. Mrs Wallis said she saw a dummy of a small boy being put in the car before it was driven into the building.

She said: “I’m not a Casualty fan but I was just interested to see what was going on.”

It is believed the action will be shown on television in May.

Antonio Van-Ellis was in Pill to drop his girlfriend off at her home in Capel Crescent on the day but found the entrance to the road blocked off.

He was so drawn in to what was happening, he watched the filming on Sunday and went back again yesterday to see other scenes of the car’s recovery.

He said: “It was brilliant. I can’t believe what they go through just for us to watch Casualty.”

BBC crews were based in Pill for about a week before filming started.

And the filming came on the same weekend as a scene which showed a limousine hanging off Newport’s George Street Bridge was broadcast on BBC One.

The scenes, which were filmed in the city last September, were shown as part of the Brothers in Arms episode shown on Saturday night at 9.10pm.

Viewers saw a limousine’s driver distracted after one of his passengers uncorked a bottle of champagne. He lost concentration and control of the car. The car swerved, smashed into railings and half of it was left precariously hanging from the bridge.

Casualty, first broadcast in September 1986, is currently in its 28th series and Saturday’s was the 887th episode.

Originally produced by BBC Bristol, production moved to BBC Cymru Wales, and has been based at Roath Lock in Cardiff since 2012.