Heathrow taxi crash: Minicab slams into side of Terminal 5 after driver suffers cardiac arrest

Emergency services were called to the scene

The Volkswagen hurdled a barrier before hitting the building (Shia Hanstater)

A minicab has crashed into the side of Heathrow's Terminal 5 after the driver suffered a cardiac arrest.

Images posted to social media appeared to show the black Volkswagen car had ploughed through a metal fence and slammed into the side of the building.

The incident occurred after 5am on Monday morning outside the departures entrance to the terminal, an airport spokeswoman told The Independent.

The minicab is taken away by a police recovery vehicle (Shia Hanstater)

"There was a road incident this morning and the emergency services were called," she said. "One lane of the departures forecourt was closed down and our services were not impacted."

A spokeswoman for the London Ambulane Service said emergency services were called at 5.23am and that a number of paramedic resources were dispatched.

"We treated one patient at the scene, a man reported to be in his sixties, who was in cardiac arrest," she said. "He was taken as a priority to Hillingdon Hospital."

A spokesperson for Hillingdon Hospital confirmed the minicab driver had been taken in for treatment this morning. He was described as being in "critical" condition.

The incident added to the travel chaos caused by thick fog across London on Monday morning, which forced many airlines to cancel flights to and from Heathrow.

Some flights have been diverted to London Gatwick, while London City airport was effectively shut down by the loss of visibility.