A car has careened across a high school sports field in Melbourne’s east, hitting and injuring seven students.

Police said a female driver lost control of her car at the corner of Springfield Road and Williams Road just before 2:00pm and crashed into the fence at Blackburn High School.

The elderly driver may have hit the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the incident.

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A 12-year-old girl is believed to have suffered head and spinal injuries and was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The other students are also in hospital in a stable condition. 

A police spokeswoman said the elderly female driver was not hurt.

“The female driver lost control of her vehicle on Springfield Road,” she said.

“She was not injured and is assisting police with their inquiries.”

Ambulance Victoria paramedic Samantha Ross said the scene was quite chaotic when emergency crews arrived.

“It was lunchtime and the children were milling about on the oval and the car’s come through the fences and hit quite a few of the students,” she said.

Ms Ross said it appeared as though the car careered out of control for several hundred metres, travelling from a carpark, across two lanes of traffic, into two fences and across the sports ovals.

There were up to 150 students in the sporting area minutes before the incident.

The car travelled 89m before hitting a third fence and coming to a stop. All preliminary alcohol and drug tests have come up negative.

Sergeant Simon Webb of Victoria Police said officers arrived at the scene to find students lying on the ground, other students coming to help and multiple ambulances.

He said the driver of the car was unable to explain what happened.

“She’s effectively driven across a whole hockey field full of students and although six were injured we’re grateful no more were seriously injured or worse,” he said.

UPDATE: Six student hit by out-of-control car at Blackburn High School, with a 12yo taken to @RCHMelbourne. #9News pic.twitter.com/i7snTfpXJT

— Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) June 15, 2015

#BREAKING: School kids treated after a car drove across a sports field at #Blackburn High School.Pic @7NewsMelbourne pic.twitter.com/qFk35kyj4Y

— Sophia Lazarides (@sophialazarides) June 15, 2015

A statement from acting principal Warren Dawson thanked police and the ambulance service for their swift response.

“Our school is understandably shocked and shaken by this incident,” he said.

“We wish all the students affected by this incident a speedy recovery and we look forward to their return to school.

“Discussions with the Education Department are already underway to make sure our fence is fixed quickly.”

– with agencies