Still can't believe it happened.
My DS and his friends were happily playing in the laserquest arena (DH was with them) and myself, DD (4), a few parents who had decided to stay, a 2 year old younger sibling and one of DS's friends who had decided he didn't want to play were waiting in the front foyer area of the venue.
Suddenly a huge 4x4 reversed right up against the window, stopped for a second, then reversed at speed through the window and ploughed into an air hockey table before stopping, glass flying everywhere.
I grabbed DD, my friend grabbed the other DCs and the staff hurried us into a back room. My immediate thought was that it was a ram raid but after a short while it emerged that it was an "accident". The driver (woman in 60s on her own in huge 4x4 in city but that is another debate) had accidentally put her car (an automatic) into reverse instead of drive, than accidentally put her foot on accelerate instead of brake. She was in shock and taken to hospital, police arrived to investigate and a fire engine to retrieve the car. Its a miracle no one else was hurt. An hour before the foyer was filled with DS, all his friends and their parents and siblings who were dropping off.
The staff gave the boys another laser game to keep them out of the way (they were at the back of the building and oblivious to what was going on) and I was trying to think straight about what to do. I texted some parents to tell them not to panic when they got back to pick up as none of the DCs were involved in the accident scene but had no way of contacting some others. Note for future parties, always get a mobile number.
The party should have been finishing by now so we whisked the boys though party tea, cake and party bags in about 10 minutes flat, the party finished about 20 minutes late and everyone was shown out though a back entrance to avoid glass and debris. DS and his friends all seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately I could not say the same for his classmate who had been too nervous to play the laser game and then had to witness the whole car though window incident.
I could not sleep that night thinking about what could have happened if the timing of the crash had been slightly different or if any of us present had been in a slightly different position in the room at the time. Since then I've been really angry with the driver and wish I had taken the chance to give her a piece of my mind .
The whole story made the front of the local paper and I was just looking at the online version and found a quote from the headteacher of DS and DD's school (all the yr 2 boys were there) saying that he had heard a child "twisted their ankle because they were so scared". Really at him. No child thankfully was hurt and if the head was going to give quotes to the local press he could have asked me for an accurate account.
End of rant and to think last time I posted on this topic I was fussing about guest lists