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A man in his 30s has died after a car crashed through the entrance of a Lidl supermarket in Wolverhampton, with several other people injured and witnesses describing scenes of panic and confusion.
The collision happened shortly before 18:00 BST on Friday, when a blue Renault Zoe entered the supermarket in Wolverhampton. Emergency services attended the scene, where the man was pronounced dead.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman driving the car, who is in her 70s, is believed to have experienced a medical incident at the wheel. She was treated at the scene and taken to hospital for further care. She has since been released.
Police confirmed on Saturday that the man's death was not being treated as suspicious. An investigation into the circumstances of the collision is continuing.
Tina Bonev, who was shopping inside the store when the crash happened, told the BBC that the impact sounded “like a massive bomb”.
She described a chaotic scene in which shoppers struggled to understand what had happened. Children were screaming, people were calling for help and broken glass and damaged materials were scattered across the supermarket floor.
Bonev said she saw people carrying an unconscious woman and witnessed a person lying on the ground. She recalled hearing someone shouting that a person was bleeding as shoppers tried to find a way out.
The vehicle came to rest on top of the self-service tills, while the blocked aisles made it difficult for people to leave the store.
“It was so quick, you can't process the speed of what has happened,” Bonev told the BBC.
She said she left the shop shortly after the collision and tried to stop other people from entering, as some appeared unaware of the incident.
Describing the experience as deeply distressing, Bonev said she was grateful to have survived and believed the incident could have a lasting effect on her.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said six other patients were treated following the collision.
Those injured included a woman inside the building who was in a serious condition and a man who also sustained injuries inside the store. Four additional patients were treated and discharged at the scene.
West Midlands Police confirmed on Saturday afternoon that two people remained in hospital with serious injuries.
The circumstances leading to the crash remain under investigation. Police have not treated the man's death as suspicious.
West Midlands Police is asking anyone who was driving around Finchfield Hill between 17:00 and 18:00 BST on Friday to contact investigators.
Officers are particularly interested in dashcam recordings that may show the blue Renault Zoe shortly before the collision.
Sgt Chloe Collins said investigators wanted to establish what might have caused the crash and urged anyone with relevant information or footage to come forward.
Specially trained officers are supporting the family of the man who died.
Videos provided to the BBC by eyewitnesses showed shoppers standing close to the vehicle after it entered the supermarket. Debris from the car and products from the shelves could be seen scattered across the floor as an alarm sounded and people called for others to leave.
Lidl said it was saddened by the incident and extended its condolences to the man's family and loved ones, as well as everyone affected.
The supermarket said the store would remain closed until further notice. It added that it was supporting its store team and assisting West Midlands Police with the ongoing investigation.
Road closures affecting Finchfield Road West, Oak Hill and Finchfield Hill were lifted on Saturday morning, according to Wolverhampton City Council.
Police continue to appeal for information that could help establish the circumstances of the collision.
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