AN INDIAN couple have said TV star Ant McPartlin “could have killed [their] daughter”, in the aftermath of a car crash last Sunday afternoon (18).
Faheem Vanoo, his wife Shilpa Dandekar and daughter Amaira, 4, were involved in a head-on collision with a car driven by the Newcastle-born TV presenter.
Vanoo, who owns the eatery Pure Indian Cooking in west London, told the Mail Online his family were “dazed and confused” by the crash, describing it as a “terrible, chaotic scene”.
He added he did not care about McPartlin’s status as “a famous TV star - he could have put my daughter in a wheelchair”.
McPartlin is understood to have crashed his Mini, which also contained his mother Christine Woodhall and dog, into Vanoo’s vehicle and another separate car on a west London road near Richmond Park at around 4pm on Sunday.
It is alleged the star failed a roadside breathalyser test and was subsequently arrested by police.
The 42-year-old, who is best known for his television presenting career alongside Declan Donnelly, has previously battled with painkiller and alcohol abuse. He infamously spent time in rehab last year before returning to his presenting duties on the popular ITV show I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
According to Vanoo, McPartlin’s Mini cooper came “flying” around a sharp corner on the wrong side of the road as it attempted to overtake a separate vehicle.
“I hardly had time to react and turned in towards the kerb to avoid a head-on collision,” the restaurant boss recalled. “I'm convinced that split-second turn of the wheel saved us all from being crippled or killed - I reckon he was doing 50 or 60mph.”
He went on: “The horn of his car was blaring, and my little girl was crying in shock. It was a terrible, chaotic scene.”
Dandekar is said to have suffered a bust lip due to the collision and Amaira was assessed in an ambulance, although she required no further treatment. The couple later took their daughter to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth by her parents for a check-up although they confirmed she did not have to stay overnight.
“It is not something that we ever expected, but we are just grateful that no one was hurt,” Dandekar said. “It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up.”
Vanoo, who is originally from Mumbai, said he could not confirm if McPartlin had been in touch with him since the collision.
McPartlin is understood to have spent Sunday evening in police custody before being allowed home in the early hours of Monday.
Family members have said he is “distraught” about the incident, especially when he learnt young children were involved.
As well as his spell in rehab, the presenter has endured recent personal troubles as he split with wife Lisa Armstrong in January.
A spokesperson for McPartlin announced on Monday (19) he would be stepping down from his TV roles for “the foreseeable future” following his arrest and would be receiving further treatment.
Apsana Begum
