Chewing gum saved a Swindon teenager from being caught up in a crash that flattened a bus stop. 

On Sunday, May 12, the bus stop on Dunwich Drive in Toothill was flattened by a crashed BMW vehicle, which ended up on its roof at around 4pm. 

At this time one 17-year-old, who wished not to be named, was waiting at that bus stop to go and visit friends, and was there until she realised she had forgotten her chewing gum. 

"When I realised I had forgotten it, I ran home which was only two minutes away," she told the Adver. 

"When I got back I had just missed the bus. I was meant to stay and wait for the next one but left at 4.03pm to go to the Mannington bus stop instead of having to wait the 20 minutes for the next bus.

"If I did stay then who knows what would have happened to me?"

After successfully getting the bus at the Mannington bus stop, she said she received a call from her mother about 10 minutes later, to tell her about the incident in Dunwich Drive. 

She later saw the photos of the crash which had been posted on social media and also reported in the Advertiser and couldn't believe that she had been there just hours earlier. 

"In many ways, it was pure luck that I wasn't there," she said. "But I'm extremely relieved that I wasn't."

It is understood that no one was hurt during the incident.

In the aftermath, eye-witnesses described seeing 'frightening' firearms officers and drones searching the area, and one local told the Adver the bus stop pole was going straight through the car.

On Monday, May 13, Jacob Wyness, of Markenfield, Toothill was charged with three offences in connection with the crash. 

He was charged with driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after a road traffic collision and driving without an MOT or insurance.

The 23-year-old has been released on bail and is due to appear at Swindon Magistrates' Court on May 29.