A Claregalway school was last night thanking its lucky stars after serious injuries were averted when a 20-ton juggernaut left the road and ploughed into the schoolgrounds just as infants were being collected after school.

There was chaos at Cregmore NS about three miles from Claregalway yesterday afternoon when the truck went out of control and smashed through the wall, destroying almost a dozen cars.

Screaming children were pushed aside to safety by parents and teachers as the truck careered through the wall, and pushed 11 cars into one another.

The emergency services rushed to the scene and five people were hospitalised yesterday for injuries which were last night described as not serious.

The accident, which happened as parents were collecting children from the infant classes at 1.40pm yesterday, saw the truck go out of control and plough through a wall and into the set down and pick up area for parents’ cars.

The young children were shaken after the incident and had to be comforted in the school by parents and teachers as the emergency services helped the injured and attempted to clear the scene in the schoolyard.

Quick-thinking parents and teachers had to grab children and jump out of the way as the lorry careered into cars in the parking area, sending shards of glass and debris before it.

Five people, including the driver of the truck and two children, were brought to UHG following the accident. All five were said to be in a stable condition yesterday evening.

The road at Cregmore Cross is a popular rat-run between the N18 and the N63 roads, allowing commuters and truck drivers to avoid the congestion of Claregalway village. However, the road is woefully inadequate for anything other than school and local traffic and this latest incident is bound to lead to calls for greater control on the heavy goods traffic which use it.

The road at Cregmore Cross was closed for a time yesterday as the emergency services worked to clear up the debris from the crash, and schoolchildren were kept in the school building until the area was cleared.

School principal Joe Kennelly, who witnessed the accident, said it was a miracle no-one had been killed in the accident, and revealed the school had held an impromptu prayer service when the parish priest visited shortly before the accident. “Somebody was looking after us without a doubt,” he said.

“There were children and parents all over the pick-up area.” He paid tribute

Meanwhile gardaí have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash.