“Amazing” pedestrians worked together to lift a car off a young boy who was struck on his way to school.

Witnesses to the terrible incident have said a group of bystanders used planks of wood to lever the car off the 11-year-old boy, who had been cycling on the mini roundabout in Merton Hall Road, Wimbledon.

From Weds: UPDATED: "Boy was dragged 10 metres down the road" says witness to crash near Wimbledon Chase station

The air ambulance was called at 8.13am on Wednesday, September 30, and the police and fires services also attended.

Wimbledon Times:

Emergency services were called

The boy sustained injuries to his face and shoulder, and remains in a critical condition in a west London hospital.

Mandy Oliver, of Merton Park, was driving her son to school when she saw the aftermath of the crash.

She said: “We drew up behind a white van that wasn’t moving.

“A man came back to the van in front of me and took out some planks of wood, and put them under the car. They lifted it to about a 45 degree angle, and that’s when my son and I realised the kid was under the car.

“Then the man came back to his van, put the big planks of wood back in the car and then drove off and the paramedics arrived.

“I’m absolutely certain I saw this car lift up to a 45 degree angle, and a dozen people lift the car. He just put the wood back and drove away. It was amazing.”

A commenter on the Wimbledon Guardian website, who uses the name Thomas6767, said that he was one of the people involved in lifting the car.

He said: “I arrived shortly after the incident to find the young boy stuck under the car. Myself and three other gentleman successfully lifted the car to remove the boy from any further risk.

“The fact that the car proceeded to roll down the hill after he was pulled out showed the pressure that was still on his body.”

Thomas 6767 also disputed claims that the boy had been dragged 10m by the car, suggesting that it had been more like three metres.

Wimbledon Times:

The boy's bicycle and rucksack remained there, and a shoe was visible under the car

One anonymous 36-year-old witness, from Worple Road, said the driver had to be flagged down by bystanders because he apparently did not realise that he had hit someone, and was dragging the boy down the road underneath his car.

The witness said: “He was dragged at least 10 metres. Everyone’s praying for the boy involved.

“There were other children there who knew him, because everyone was going to school.

“I was near enough to the junction and heard the noise. It was like a thud and the wheels going over the bike, and then the scraping noise of the bike being dragged."

Sections of Merton Hall Road, Dundonald Road and Toynbee Road were cordoned off by police on Wednesday morning, and cars and pedestrians were prevented from passing too close to the area.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) at 8.18am to reports of a road traffic collision involving a cyclist and a car at Merton Hall Road.

“On arrival, LAS were treating an 11-year-old male cyclist for his injuries. He has been taken to a west London hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

“The driver of the car stopped at the scene. No arrests have been made.

“Officers from the Serious Collision Investigating Unit are investigating.”

Did you see pedestrians lift the car? Do you know the victim? Contact the newsdesk on pippa.allen@london.newsquest.co.uk or 0208 722 6337.