The son of an elderly Clevedon woman who was killed when a van smashed into her living room was on the phone to her at the time.

According to neighbours, the woman who is thought to be in her 90s was speaking to the family member when a Transit van crashed into her semi-detached home on Yeolands Drive.

The horrific incident happened shortly after 8.30pm on Wednesday, April 18.

The road was closed until 2am

Nearby residents ran to help the elderly woman after hearing a huge bang, but it is thought she died instantly beneath rubble.

Julie Elson, 57, who has lived four doors down from the woman for 37 years, said the woman was on the phone to a family member at the time and her great-granddaughter, who is thought to live nearby, came to the scene.

Emergency services at the incident

She said: "She was hysterical, screaming. Poor thing.

"The old lady would always speak to you - a true neighbour.

"Everything was manic last night.

"My son has gone back to university but his car is normally parked outside - if it had been there she might have survived - it might have stopped the van ramming in.

"Everybody is shocked - my eyes have been welling up this morning; I'm so sad. She was still very lively and hadn't long given up driving."

Neighbour Robert Cornock, 71, was one of the first people to enter the property.

He said the elderly lady had lived there for more than 35 years.

Robert, a painter and decorator, said: "I was cutting the grass in the back garden and heard a terrific bang. I ran across and saw a white Transit van embedded in the wall of the house.

"Me and my neighbour went in - we called her name but couldn't see her at all because she was buried underneath the rubble in the living room.

"We could smell gas right away so we had to get out quickly.

"Unfortunately, the van was against the gas meter, trapping it, so it had to be removed before the switch could be turned off."

Paul Tree, 63, is a photographer who lives on the road. He said: "Me and my wife were sitting in the front room and there was flashing lights which turned out to be a convoy of emergency services.

"I didn't want to get too close out of respect.

"The community is in shock - I was walking my dog at 6am and saw many teary eyes and sad looks on people's faces. Kids were playing in the street in that area just an hour before."

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Woman dies after car crashes in Clevedon house

Neighbours have also spoken of how they climbed through the rubble to free screaming children who were in the van at the time of the crash.

A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the incident and Avon and Somerset police are expected to release further information later today (April 19).

Follow the latest updates on this breaking news story in our live blog here.