A baby is critical and a child and two adults in a serious condition after a car and van crash in Plumstead, with a witness describing the scene as "chaos".

The vehicles smashed into each other along Kings Highway at quarter past 12 today (November 11).

A female in the car and the van driver were cut from their vehicles by firefighters before being taken to a south London hospital for treatment.

A baby and a child, who were travelling in the car, were also rushed to hospital.

The baby - a one-year-old - is in a critical condition.

The other child, aged around three years, and the two drivers are described as serious but stable.

London's Air Ambulance reportedly landed in a nearby cemetary after being called to reports of a "serious road traffic collision involving multiple patients".

The airbags were deployed in the crash, which totalled both vehicles. 

Witness Aay Jay reportedly saw a baby being given CPR, as well as paramedics treating other young children.

He was driving in the area when he came across emergency services blocking off the road.

The 21-year-old told News Shopper: "I parked up because I couldn't go anywhere.

"All I saw was fire, ambulances, police rushing and running. It was literally chaos.

"It's a two-lane road, that's the shocking thing."

Residents along the road have expressed their concerns over speeding.

MORE TOP STORIES Kingsdale Road resident Grant Lloyd told News Shopper: “I heard the helicopter early afternoon, before it was circling around and the road was closed.

“We heard the sirens, there were lots of lights and sirens. It was bad."

The 39-year-old father said the road is particularly dangerous.

He added: “They do go really fast up and down here, it’s not the first time there’s been an accident.

“People come down really fast, they speed up then try and brake.

“We’re getting people pulling out beeping their horns.

“It’s not the best road to walk up and down with kids.

“When I’m walking the dog over the common you can really hear when they come hurtling up and down really fast.

“You can hear the screech of tyres when they pull away fast.”

Mr Lloyd, who has lived along the road for the past eight years, said: “They should introduce speed cameras or something.

“I hope this one might make them put traffic calming measures in place.”

Nearby security guard Nick Toshkov, 34, missed the impact but had been watching the recovery process.

He told News Shopper: “They say the lady driver lost control, but I don’t know for sure.

“I don’t know exactly, I think it was 50, 60 miles an hour.

“I wasn’t expecting this when I came here at 4pm.”

News Shopper:

The crash on Kings Highway. Picture by @Ajmanutd10.

A King’s Highway Road resident, who did not wish to be named, said there have been multiple crashes along the road where she’s lived for over 20 years.

The 38-year-old said: “Speed humps or speed cameras should be considered. Over the years there has been crash after crash, one nearly came through my front wall.

“Cars on that side just smash into the wall opposite.

“We’ve got that huge wall on the other side, if cars go into that.

“They go fast and even pick up speed, it’s getting more dangerous. It’s frightening.

“I hope this is the thing that will make changes happen, I hope something comes of this whether its speed humps to slow people down there needs to be something.

“I hope it’s not a fatality.”

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said 10 firefighters from Plumstead were also sent to the scene, as well as a fire rescue unit from Bexley.

A police cordon was still in place at 6pm that evening, and debris and glass could be seen strewn across the closed road.

The police investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made so far.

Greenwich Council was contacted for a comment.

Detectives from the Met's Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for witnesses to a collision. 

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call the serious collision investigation unit at Catford Traffic Garage on 020 8285 1574.

Did you see what happened? Call the newsdesk on 07787 273 803 or email jessica.bell@london.newsquest.co.uk.