A pub manager has described the aftermath of a crash which left two men seriously injured after they were knocked down by a car which mounted a pavement.

Two 36-year-old men, who are from Cambridge and were working as contractors at Warminster’s army base, were knocked down outside the John Barleycorn pub in Weymouth Street shortly before 8pm on Friday.

A black BMW coupe, driven by a 19-year-old from Warminster, had turned into Weymouth Street, where it mounted the pavement and struck the two men.

Both were taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath by ambulance. One was suffering serious leg and head injuries and the other serious leg and pelvic injuries. The driver was uninjured.

Duty manager at the John Barleycorn, Sue Collier, helped the two men as an ambulance arrived.

The 43-year-old said: “There was only a couple of people in the pub at the time and we didn’t hear a screech, just a loud bang.

“I thought the whole building was coming down.

“I ran outside and the car was literally outside the front door. It was a right mess with a big dent in the side where it had hit the wall.

“There was one guy on the pavement to the side of the car and the other man had been thrown into the doorway.

“I came straight inside and called for an ambulance but luckily the police were there within seconds. I got blankets for the men, who had started to shake.

“I was holding one of the men’s hand and talking to him and another woman was helping the other man. We waited with them until the paramedics arrived.

“Minutes before it happened my 17-year-old daughter left the pub so it could have been her, which is a horrible thought.”

Wiltshire Police closed the road for three hours, and investigations will continue for the next two weeks.

PC John Milner, of the serious collision investigation team in Amesbury, said: “The casualties may be moved to a hospital in Cambridgeshire in the next week.

Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information should contact PC Milner on 0845 408 7000.