A woman said she thought she was going to die when the car she was travelling in spun out of control and ploughed through a garden wall after colliding with a car in a hit and run. 

Eleanor Flynn, 25, and boyfriend Chung Nguyen, 27, were driving in Old Church Road, Chingford, towards The Ridgeway, on Saturday night when the black Smart car "came flying out" of Leadale Avenue, smashing straight into the left passenger side of their Honda Civic. 

As their car spun 360 degrees Mr Nguyen lifted the handbrake to avoid oncoming traffic.

The car careered into a parked Toyota Aventis before smashing through a brick wall and coming to a halt after hitting bins.

Miss Flynn said: "It was like being in a dream that lasted three minutes rather than five seconds.

“As soon as it hit us, I put my hands over my head and started screaming. 

"If Chung had not have pulled the handbrake, we would have died. 

"The car went straight through the garden wall right up to the front door. 

"All I wanted was for the car to stop. When it eventually did, I thought we were dead.

"The driver of the Smart car then got themselves together and sped off."

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The scene of the crash

Several eyewitnesses went to the couple’s rescue, with two people jumping into their car to trace the driver, Miss Flynn added. 

Two police cars arrived at the scene within minutes. 

One left to pursue the driver, who is thought to have taken a left turn after Chingford Mount Cemetery. 

The couple, of Gillards Mews, Walthamstow, both sustained whiplash, while Mr Nguyen hit his head against a window and injured his knee. 

The car was written off and towed to a salvage yard and the couple were landed with a £500 excess bill to pay for damage. 

They are appealing to anyone who saw the accident to help bring the driver to justice. 

"We are very lucky we are not dead and there was not a pedestrian in the way, but at the same time I'm angry this person has got away,” Miss Flynn added. 

"The person driving needs to be found and their licence taken off them before he or she kills someone." 

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.