"It fell like a stone" Scottish Sun editor Gordon Smart main witness of Glasgow Police Helicopter crash
The Scottish Sun's new editor, Gordon Smart, was an eyewitness at last night’s helicopter crash in Glasgow city centre.The incident, which saw a police helicopter crash into the roof of the Clutha bar in Stockwell Street around 10:30pm, happened whilst the editor was getting his car from the roof of a nearby multistory car park. Writing for The Sun and The Scottish Sun this morning Smart said he initially heard “a misfiring engine” and “panicked and ducked because I felt like something was going to land on me”. He adds: “I looked up and saw a helicopter falling out of the sky, just like a stone dropping. “It landed a few hundred yards away from me but there was no explosion or fireball.”According to Smart’s report he left the car park to check on the scene and by the time he “got downstairs and ran out the fire brigade and police were already on their way.”Of the moment the helicopter fell, Smart revealed that it “looked like it was dropping from great height and at a great speed” and that the “rotors didn’t appear to be turning”. During the night Smart was one of the first to tweet about the event, at first not quite able to believe what he had seen.
The crash saw Glasgow trending on social media within the hour
Jesus. Think I just saw a helicopter crash in Glasgow.
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 29, 2013This is genuinely horrible. Spare a thought for those involved. Terrifying experience. Thought it was going to land on me.
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 29, 2013
He then went on to praise the emergency services and the people of Glasgow who had spent the night helping out. Hearing of heroic acts by Glaswegians on the scene this evening, forming human chain to get victims out of The Clutha.
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 29, 2013
Truly incredible to witness the speed of our emergency services and the brave response of Scots running towards the crash and not away.
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 29, 2013
Finally settled into a hotel in complete shock after the events of a very Black Friday. Glasgow is a city fearful of the dawning day...
— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 30, 2013
Within an hour of the incident #glasgow was trending internationally on Twitter as pictures, messages and information directly from the scene were shared. At the time of writing, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has sent a tweet stating that fatalities should be prepared for.