UPDATED 12.06PM: An elderly driver of a car has smashed through the front window of a medical lab in a Torbay shopping area.

Emergency services were called to Beach Rd, in the North Shore bay, at 10.47am.

A fire communications spokeswoman said one person was trapped in the vehicle. The woman has since been removed and transported by ambulance to North Shore Hospital in a moderate condition.

Sue Morrison, Torbay Medical centre Practice Manager, said the only person injured in the incident was the driver.

Ms Morrison said no staff or patients were injured.

“A patient getting a blood test at the time of the accident managed to put a pillow over themselves as the glass smashed.”

Lorraine Edline, who works at Torbay Unichem Pharmacy next to the medical centre, said she heard the accident happen, but didn’t see it.

When she looked outside, she saw the car on its side had smashed through the glass doors at the front of the lab.

She speculated it may have been a case of the driver accelerating instead of braking.

Another witness, Reece Vella, said he’d just come out of the sushi shop when he saw the car drive into a steel “parking pole”, roll up onto its side and smash through the glass.  

“I had just walked out from the sushi shop when it happened.

“I dropped my lunch and ran over to try help.”

He said it was lucky no one else was hurt.

“It could’ve been a lot worse.”