SHOPPERS fled in terror as an ambulance on a 999 call crashed into a lamppost and a pelican crossing on a busy Newport street yesterday afternoon.

Around 15 pedestrians near the Cardiff Road shops in Maesglas, ran or jumped out of the way fearing the ambulance was about to plough straight into them.

The ambulance, which was on its way to a nearby medical emergency at 4pm, and did not have any casualties on board, swerved to avoid a car before the incident.

The driver of the ambulance and one other paramedic on board were taken to the nearby Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport with minor injuries.

Stephen Jays, 34, from Maindee in Newport, was picking up his six-year-old son Ellison, from a nearby bus stop. The pair were just about to get into Mr Jays' car when the ambulance came towards them.

Mr Jays said: “I saw the ambulance swerve and its back wheels lock up. It then started coming towards us.

“My instincts took over and I just grabbed my son, jumped, and ran about ten feet to get out of the way. It all happened so fast and it’s amazing no-one was badly hurt.”

The ambulance came to a standstill around five metres away from Mr Jays’ car after first hitting the lamppost, which had a speed indicator attached to it, and then destroying a pelican crossing.

He added: “If the lamppost was not in the way then I don’t know what would have happened, because that’s what stopped the ambulance.”

Jolene Parry, 32, was in the middle of parking her car next to the lamppost when the incident happened.

The mother who had her two sons, Jay, 11, and seven-year-old Josh with her, said: “My son turned around and saw the ambulance coming, so I quickly put my foot down to move out of the way.

“If I had not moved I don’t know what would have happened.

My heart was pumping.

“I’m just glad no-one was seriously hurt.”

PC Tom Delaney, who attended the scene, confirmed the ambulance had swerved to avoid a car which was in Cardiff Road.

He said: “There were no pedestrian injuries as a result of this incident, but it could have been a lot worse considering the time of day it happened and the amount of traffic that was on the road.”

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman would only confirm the ambulance was on its way to a medical emergency in the Newport area.