Lorry crashes into Smethwick health centre

Witnesses described an explosive sound 'like a bomb going off' as the lorry crashed into Leasowes Care Centre, while staff and patients were evacuated.

More than 20 firefighters and specialist structural engineers were today called to the scene following the crash at 7.29am.

One side of Oldbury Road was closed following the crash, which saw the white lorry cab end up stuck in the side of the building.

Paramedics checked over the driver of the lorry and car – a silver Mercedes A Class – but nobody is believed to be injured.

A painstaking operation to remove the lorry cab without causing any further damage to the health centre building was under way this afternoon.

Builders had been working at the health centre to create a new conservatory for dementia patients when the lorry hit.

Luke Greenwood, aged 42, one of the builders, said: "I had just opened up when I heard the sound of a crash.

"A few moments later I heard another crash that sounded like a bomb had gone off.

"I went inside and told the staff to get everybody out of that part of the building." Around 20 patients and 13 staff members had to be evacuated and one side of the dual carriageway was closed to allow emergency services access to the scene.

Dudley Station Commander Steve Lees, who is leading the operation to remove the truck said: "It's difficult to estimate the extent of the damage as structural engineers haven't completed a full investigation yet.

"But we have cordoned off one of the centre's wings, containing 10 rooms, as a precaution. Our main concern is removing the lorry in a controlled fashion without causing anymore structural damage to the building."

A spokeswoman from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS trust, which runs the centre, said it hoped to have everything back up and running normally as soon as possible.

Rachel Barlow, Chief Operating Officer, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Hospitals Trust, said: "We are dealing with an incident at Leasowes Intermediate Care Centre, where a lorry crashed into the side of the building.

"Nobody was injured, although there is minor structural damage to the building.

"We are in the process of evacuating some of our patients to Sandwell Hospital as a precautionary measure."

The centre provides intermediate care to people recovering from time in hospital and offers physiotherapy and other specialist treatments.