A Vauxhall Astra crashed into the Audi A8 that Barbara Brand was being driven in while she was on her way to her comedian son's house.

• Apr 27, 2018

AceShowbiz - Russell Brand's mother was reportedly pulled screaming from the back of her chauffeur-driven car after a hit and run incident on Thursday, April 26. Barbara Brand, 71, had been on her way to her comedian son's house to babysit his and wife Laura Gallacher's 17-month-old daughter Mabel, when a Vauxhall Astra crashed into the Audi A8 she was being driven in.

The driver of the Astra then fled after getting into another car behind them. Barbara, meanwhile, had to be helped out of the car when paramedics arrived after the seatbelt trapped her in.

"The Astra came round the corner and lost control. It went straight into the Audi," a witness told Britain's The Sun newspaper. "The chauffeur got out and fell. Russell's mum was trapped. She had a seatbelt across her chest. She was in pain and people got her out.

"She was in a bad way, lying on a stretcher. She had blood coming from her nose and on the back of her head. We were talking to her, trying to keep her with it."

The crash happened at around 11.40 am near Brentwood, Essex in England, and left the chauffeur "screaming in pain".

"A police officer asked him, 'Are you a taxi driver?' He said 'No, I'm Russell Brand's chauffeur, I'm taking his mum in a private car'," the witness added of the situation.

Two ambulances were called and spent around 30 minutes at the scene before taking Barbara and the chauffeur to hospital.

"The Audi driver and passenger, a man in his 40s and woman in her 70s, were taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening," police said in a statement. "The occupant of the Astra had left the scene. Enquiries are ongoing to locate them."

Following the incident, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" actor Russell, who had been heading to Aberdeen, Scotland, for a gig on Thursday night, raced to be with his mother and cancelled the performance.

"Due to a personal emergency Russell's promoters regrettably announce the postponement of Russell's tour date at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen tonight," a statement from the venue bosses read.

"Please keep hold of your tickets. Ticket holders will be contacted about the rescheduling of the show very soon."

Barbara had recently survived cancer for a sixth time.