An eight-year-old boy and a man were run over by a BMW driver while having a picnic at a motorway service station.
The black luxury car - driven by a 76-year-old woman - careered into an outdoor table at the Cardiff Gate services on the M4 before smashing into a shop at 11.45am this morning.
The boy, the 39-year-old man and the driver all had to be rushed to hospital following the crash.
Police said that the man had serious, 'potentially life-changing' injuries. None of the injuries sustained by the three hurt are thought to be life threatening however.
A witness told Wales Online: 'It was awful. About 15 people were trying to lift the car off.'
She said the window front of the shop smashed on impact, adding: 'I imagine the driver had a medical emergency as I can't understand how they went into the building at that speed.
'All emergency services are there.'
Detectives have opened an investigation into the incident and launched an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
An eight-year-old boy, a 39-year-old man and a 79-year-old woman were all hospitalised after the woman's BMW drove into a picnic table and into a shop window at Cardiff Gate Services at 11.45am this morning
A witness said 'about 15' bystanders had to lift the car out of the shop window after the awful crash which has left the 39-year-old with potentially life-changing injuries. Police are investigating
Another bystander said she had to 'yank' her 13-year-old daughter out of the way of the wayward car which 'very nearly' knocked her over.
She told Wales Online: 'About six or seven seconds later it hit the pedestrians and the service station.
'There was this almighty smash and the car actually went through the window. I can still hear the screams in my ears.
'My partner rushed down with some other guys and lifted the vehicle out of the window.'
A South Wales Police spokesperson said: 'We are currently dealing with an incident at the Cardiff Gate Services. It is understood a car collided with a retail premises on the site.
'Three people have been taken to hospital including an 8-year-old child and a 39-year-old man, who were both pedestrians, and a 76-year-old woman who was the driver of the vehicle.
'It is understood none of the injuries are life-threatening.
'An investigation into the incident is underway. Anybody who was at that location who may have witnessed what happened is asked to make contact - please give reference 2600162925.'
Cardiff Gate Services was a filming location of the TV show Gavin and Stacey. Ruth Jones's character Nessa is pictured here in the car park
Cardiff Gate Services was a filming location in the TV show Gavin and Stacey. It featured heavily in the 2008 Christmas Special when the Wests and Shipmans are travelling to Billericay for Christmas.