Moment car mounts pavement and ploughs into crowd at Piccadilly Circus

This is the horrifying moment pedestrians run for their lives as a car mounts the pavement in Piccadilly Circus and ploughs into a crowd, leaving a 'screaming woman trapped in the wreckage'.

Shocked tourists rushed to pull two women from the mangled vehicle after it veered 'out of control' outside the Angus Steakhouse in the busy Piccadilly Circus area last night.

They were both taken to hospital for treatment, and their condition has since been assessed as non life-threatening. 

CCTV footage shows the black Toyota speeding through central London before it flew off the road towards pedestrians.

The vehicle then smashed into a traffic light box, completely destroying its front, according to a witness.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, but she has since been bailed. The incident is not being treated as terrorist related.

A member of staff at Angus Warehouse told MailOnline that the car would have ploughed into diners if it had not been stopped by one of London's street map signs, known as monoliths, which brought the vehicle to a sudden stop.

'The car came to a stop one metre before our restaurant,' she said. 'The ground was a bit slippery and the driver obviously lost control. They hit one of the maps [monolith]. This is what stopped the restaurant being hit.'

The waitress said the restaurant managers quickly called the police and ambulances after the car crashed in a packed out area, while diners were eating inside.

She added: 'Everyone was in shock, you don't see this every day. There was a loud crash. There were a lot of people, it was very crowded.'

Nelson Costa, who works at Wok and Fire which is about 20 metres from where the crash happened, told The Sun he: 'heard a loud noise, like a big bang' which he 'knew immediately was an accident'.

He added: 'It was not like anything I had heard before'.

A shop worker working nearby said he heard a 'loud bang which sounded like gunshots'.

He said: 'I was on the phone outside and I tried to hide at the beginning.'

A crowd of alarmed passers-by gathered around the scene as a pedestrian was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Both the driver and one of the passengers, who witnesses say were both women, were also taken to hospital.

Dramatic video footage shows the number plate hanging off the front of the wrecked car, with one of the airbags activated after the collision.  

Angus Steakhouse is central London chain, with five restaurants spilled out across the capital.

The Piccadilly Circus location opened in 1968, serving customers grilled steaks, ribs and other American-style BBQ food.

The Met Police said: 'Police were called at approximately 18:50hrs on Tuesday, 12 November to reports of a collision involving a car in Coventry Street, junction with Haymarket, SW1.

'Witnesses reported a car mounted the pavement before colliding with a building.

'Two people – a pedestrian and a passenger who was in the car - were taken to hospital for treatment. Their condition has been assessed as non life-threatening.

'The driver of the car was not seriously injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution.

'No reports of any other serious injuries.

'The driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, she has since been bailed.

'Enquiries into the circumstances continue.'