Shock as car crashes onto Ottery shop

SHOCKED onlookers have described the moment a car came crashing through the window of a high street Ottery television store.

The incident left midday shoppers, local workers and staff at John Williams in Mill Street stunned on Saturday and thankful nobody was seriously hurt.

The 91-year-old is believed to have lost control of his car and mounted the pavement while attempting to park outside the store.

John Williams sales assistant Matt Thornewill, 21, was on the shop floor when the car smashed through the window, but did not realise the magnitude of what had happened at first.

He said: "I heard a big crash and ran to the front of the shop expecting to see that somebody had rear ended someone outside, then I looked to my left and there was a car in the shop."

Owner Martin Williams, was in a back room when he heard a "great big bang".

He said: "It gave us a bit of a shock- I can't recall it happening in Ottery before.

"I came through to see the window display pushed back and the driver reversing the car back out.

"We have lost some stock but the best thing was that nobody was injured, which is quite lucky considering it was a Saturday afternoon.

"There was an elderly couple in the car, my main concern was that they were not hurt. The driver was alright, I think he was more shocked than we were.

"There is damage to the window and its frame- it's not just a case of replacing the glass. Its just one of those things, there is a low pavement there."

Cutting Edge beautician Zoe Cummings, 25, watched the incident unfold from across the road. She said: "I was just standing watching out over the street when I heard the car accelerate really loudly. I was saying to myself stop, stop, stop, but the car went straight into the window, then started reversing out."

Police said the incident has been treated as an accident and the elderly driver escaped injury.