A 24-year-old man pleaded guilty to dangerous driving today after a midnight crash left three people in hospital.

Croydon man Lucas Francis appeared in Kingston Crown Court this afternoon charged with dangerous driving at the junction of Seddon Road and Bishopsford Road, Morden, on Sunday, June 8.

Your Local Guardian:

Scene of the crash: junction of Seddon Road and Bishopsford Road 

Police and firefighters attended the dramatic collision, reported by residents to have involved a silver Golf and a minicab.

London Ambulance Service treated five patients for minor injuries at the scene, taking three of them to St Helier Hospital, Sutton.

Anna Mann, whose house in Hillfield Avenue is just behind the scene of the crash, said : "I heard a bang at about 12 o’clock. I came round and there was one car in front of the other. The police were there and they were seeing to it."

Seddon Road residents reported they heard a car speeding towards Bishopsford Road just before the crash.

Mr Francis, of Grove Lane, Coulsdon, also faced a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to 22-year-old Lena McDonagh in the days leading up to the incident.

It is understood she was a passenger in the car at the time of the accident.

Appearing in court today, Mr Francis, a father who is understood to work for BT, pleaded not guilty to the assault charge.

Judge Nicholas Price granted him bail on the condition he remains at his home address between 7pm and 7am.

He is also forbidden to contact Lena McDonagh or go into Carshalton, Sutton, except for pre-arranged appointments with solicitors.

He is due to return to court on Monday, October 6.