A speeding car caused chaos on a Birmingham street, crashing into parked vehicles and rupturing a gas main.

Residents were evacuated as firefighters and gas workers worked to secure the area. A witness described the shocking scene as the car launched another vehicle into the air. The driver was arrested by officers after attempting to flee.

Emergency services raced to the scene of carnage after an alleged speeding driver ploughed into parked on Tuesday 19 August evening.

Paramedics, firefighters and police officers all arrived at the scene on Long Street in the Sparkbrook area of the city just past 6pm after the blue coloured VW Polo crashed close to a children’s play park.

A witness who saw the car moments before the crash said: ‘It looked to be doing well over 60mph, when he crashed, the parked car flew into the air, did a 360 and landed next to the house, you could actually see the house shudder when it hit it.’

Firefighters from Highgate made vehicles safe and helped the gas workers isolate the gas main.

The witness then described the moment immediately after the collision: ‘Then they all got out of the car like nothing had happened, one closed the doors and the driver ran off, but they arrested him further up the road.’

Residents were evacuated from their houses for several hours as Gas Workers tried to make the gas main safe after it was damaged in the smash.

A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We were called to reports of a car that had overturned on Long Street at 6.11pm, one ambulance and a paramedic officer attended the scene.

"On arrival we discovered one patient, a man.

"He was treated for injuries not believed to be serious before being taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham."

West Midlands Police cordoned off the area until the gas main was made safe for residents to return home.

The VW Polo was forensically removed.

A spokesperson for the force said: "We were called to reports of a car colliding into parked cars before crashing into a house in Long Street, Sparkbrook, just after 6pm yesterday.

"Officers quickly arrived on the scene, and found that the driver of the car ran away from the scene but was located nearby in Palmerston Road, where he was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

"He remains in custody for questioning."

ENDS