The first person on the scene of a dramatic crash in Crystal Palace, that left a man fighting for his life, has described the “shocking” scenes he witnessed.

Nayan Patel, 50, ran into the Braziliana Cafe in Westow Hill moments after a van crashed through the glass front shortly before 3.30pm last Wednesday, hitting a man buying coffee at the counter.

Mr Patel, who owns the Budgens supermarket opposite, said he saw the man lying between the van and the far wall, on top of glass and debris from the crushed serving counter and smashed entrance.

He said: “He was barely conscious. His stomach had been slashed open by the glass and his intestines were hanging out.”

The cafe’s two owners were surrounded by rubble and screaming, he added.

He said: “It was shocking. The scene was complete devastation.”

The driver - who ferries Metro Bus staff to different depots using the van - was in shock, he said, and had told him his foot had got stuck on the accelerator.

Mr Patel spoke to the injured man, in his 30s, to keep him conscious before paramedics arrived.

The injured man, who had also seriously damaged his knee, was rushed to hospital in critical condition where he underwent emergency surgery, and has been recovering since.

He was accompanied by the cafe’s owner, Brazilian Marian Camarotte, who stayed with him until he was stable.

She said: “The whole experience was a shock but we are just glad that it was not even more serious.”

She thanked the community for their support and said the cafe would reopen once her insurance had paid for repairs.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested and taken to a south London police station. He has since been bailed.

A spokewoman for Metro Bus said the driver had been relieved from duty pending a full inquiry.

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