A couple have told how they tried to help and comfort the victims of a crash between an ambulance and a car - after the vehicles smashed through a fence into their back garden.

An investigation has been launched after the ambulance on a 999 call was in a crash with a car carrying a family-of-five - leaving a 12-year-old girl fighting for her life.

The girl and her 14-year-old sister, who was also seriously hurt, were travelling in the back of a Mercedes which crashed with the emergency vehicle in Island Road, Sturry, shortly before 2pm on Tuesday.

The pair, from Chestfield, were flown in separate air ambulances to London hospitals, one to St George’s and the other to King’s College.

Both of them had suffered serious head injuries, with one also sustaining leg and arm injuries.

Now John and Amanda Lawrence have described the moments of panic after the collision.

They were at their home in Ashendene Grove, which backs onto Island Road, when the accident happened.

Amanda, 48, said: “There was an almighty bang and straight away I guessed what it was because apparently cars have crashed through the fence in the past before we moved here.

“We dashed out and there was an ambulance and Mercedes in our back garden. It was unbelievable.

“Someone was calling out ‘can someone help us’. So we tried to do what we could.”

John, 70, a semi-retired builder, said: “It was quite an horrendous sight. All the airbags had gone off. There was a little boy in the back who was clearly distressed. We had to lever the door open to get him out.

“One of the young girls got out by herself but was obviously dazed and we sat her down and tried to comfort her, along with the boy.

“The man who was driving got out but the mum stayed in the vehicle because she didn’t want to leave the girl trapped in the back.

“The ambulance driver was already on his phone, presumably calling the emergency services, but his passenger, another paramedic, seemed trapped by his ankle.

“It was a very distressing sight but we did what we could until the emergency services arrived.”

Amanda added: “We understood they were a family returning from an outing. It must have been awful for them. We felt so sorry for the poor children.

“But I have to say the emergency services were on the scene very quickly and were superb.

“Obviously, we got out of their way and they just swung into action. At times like that, it makes you appreciate what a fantastic job they do.”

"Someone was calling out ‘can someone help us’. So we tried to do what we could" - Amanda Lawrence

Four others involved needed hospital treatment.

Both vehicles were travelling down the hill towards Canterbury but ended up smashing through a fence into a back garden at the junction of Babs Oak Hill.

The ambulance was responding to a call to a private home in Canterbury and was not carrying a patient.

The road was closed for several hours as emergency services, including four teams of paramedics, firefighters and police, helped the casualties and dealt with the incident.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash, or who saw either of the vehicles in the moments leading up to it, to call the serious collision investigation unit on 01622 798538, or email sciu.td@kent.pnn.police.uk, quoting reference 11-0718.

Video: Catch up with the latest Kent video news in our KMTV bulletin