Police scene in place outside McDonald's as air ambulance called

A pensioner has been seriously injured after being hit by a taxi outside a McDonalds.

The 70-year-old woman was rushed to hospital following the crash in Middleton town centre at noon today. A 39-year-old man, thought to be the taxi driver, has been arrested.

The air ambulance was called to the scene and landed on a nearby field off Limetrees Road. But it's thought the woman was taken to hospital by road.

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Pictures from the scene show an area of Middleton Gardens shopping precinct cordoned off outside McDonalds restaurant and the Edgar Wood pub. One man who witnessed the aftermath of the incident said it took place in an area reserved for disabled parking.

He said officers could be seen questioning the man in the back of a police car, as the pensioner was being treated by paramedics as she lay on the floor.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said the woman was seriously hurt, but the extent of her injuries was not yet clear. They added a 39-year-old man was being questioned after being arrested on suspicion of driving without due care and attention.