A PENSIONER has spoken of his shock after being woken on New Year's Day by a car crash near his home in Charlton which claimed the lives of three teenagers.

Amy Curran, aged 15, of Raeburn Road, Sidcup, Joe Wallis, aged 18, of Dallin Road, Shooters Hill, and Georgina Fox, aged 16, of Elibank Road, Eltham, were killed in the crash.

The accident happened when the Peugeot 206 the teenagers were travelling in, driven by Joe, collided with a bendy bus in Little Heath at around 6.30am.

Two other passengers in the car were injured in the crash, which happened near the junction with Cemetery Lane.

The single-decker bus was not in service at the time and the driver was uninjured.

Des Avery, aged 73, who has lived in Little Heath for 35 years, was woken by the crash.

He said: "There was a loud bang. I left it for two or three minutes, I wasn't sure if it was a firework.

"I went to the front bedroom and the bendy bus was outside our house, the car was up on the pavement. It was terrible.

"I went to see if I could help at all."

Mr Avery, a retired council worker, said the police arrived within minutes and cordoned off the road.

"A couple of people were trying to open the door of the vehicle but couldn't because it was so badly damaged.

"The front was staved right in. They had to cut the roof off."

He added: "The bus driver was shaken. He said the car had veered across the road."

Greenwich Council installed 'Keep Left' bollards on the busy road but Mr Avery said cars still race down there at night.