Police swarmed a town centre, closing roads and diverting traffic after a high-speed car crash brought the area to a standstill.

A 4×4, which had been spotted driving past Walsall’s fire station in Blue Lane West and near Crown Wharf, was in collision with a Renault Clio in nearby Court Way at 10.30am yesterday.

The air ambulance was scrambled and forced to land in Green Lane, outside the police station and magistrates court.

The blue Mitsubishi Shogun, which ended up on its side, had to have its roof cut off by fire crews to free the occupants.

Two men, aged 35 and 36, were rescued and taken to Walsall Manor Hospital on spinal boards.

The 19-year-old driver of the Clio was also taken to hospital suffering head injuries.

Witnesses mistakenly reported hearing shots fired and the fire station was initially sealed off and treated as a crime scene. Engines had to leave the station for 999 calls by the back doors.

Police today said they had found no evidence of firearms and said they were treating it simply as a bad road accident.

The police cordon stretched from Wolverhampton Street up until Walsall Leather Museum – keeping Blue Lane West, Green Lane, Court Way and Stafford Street off limits to drivers, who were forced to make U-turns in the roads.

Det Sgt Greg Evans from Walsall Police Station said: “There was a serious road traffic collision between two cars with three casualties. As as a result, there were major road closures in the area.

“We are now investigating the circumstances leading up that collision and investigations are ongoing at this time.”

The roads were closed for more than five hours yesterday, finally reopening at around 3.45pm.

Shops at Crown Wharf centre remained open, but shoppers were prevented from leaving through the back exits.

Father-of-one Craig Millington, aged 45, who lives at the Smiths Flour Mill in Blue Lane West, said: “I went out to go to my mum’s for Mother’s Day at around 11am and came out to find the police were everywhere.

“I was worried I would not be able to get out and back in again because of all of the cordons but we were allowed access.”

Andy Singh, landlord at The Oak in Green Lane, said: “I don’t know what happened but all of the closures definitely had an effect because I had half the people in than normal and a couple of the blokes who come in had to walk about two miles to get to me when they only live up the road. They must have had good reason to close so much off.”

Cyril Groves, aged 54, of Lye, Stourbridge, said: “I got the bus to Walsall to see my mother but it was diverted the long way round.

After I finally got to see my mum I then found I couldn’t get back to the bus station because of the closures.  It all looks as if it must have been something quite serious.”

Barry Holmes, from Stenning near Brighton, was also visiting Walsall to see his mother.

He said: “We drove in and ended up hitting all of this chaos, I didn’t know what was happening.”

A police specialist traffic investigation van could be seen driving up and down Blue Lane West to Court Way at high speeds yesterday in a re-enactment.

A mechanical road sweeper was sent out by the council to help clear up the debris from the vehicles which came to rest between the police station and The Leather Museum.

In a separate accident, a driver died after suffering a suspected heart attack at the wheel.

The collision happened in Rosemary Hill Road, in Sutton Coldfield, near Streetly, at around 3.30pm yesterday.

The car veered across the road and hit another being driven by a woman with her young daughter inside.

Firefighters from Aldridge gave the male driver first aid and he was taken to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, where he died.

Crew commander Phil James said: “Whether the man has been having health problems in the car or whether it happened afterwards we don’t know.”