A car smashed into the wall of a Moray shop yesterday after veering across a busy high street.
One Buckie shopper had a lucky escape as the silver Volkswagen Golf mounted the pavement and narrowly missed her.
Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle “overshoot” the roundabout at Cluny Square before it revved loudly and smashed into Seafield Veterinary Group on the town’s high street.
The driver of the car, a man in his 80s, was taken to hospital to be checked by emergency services.
An employee in Sandy’s Carpets was the first to call an ambulance after seeing the incident unfold across the street at about 9.45am.
She said: “I heard a car revving its engine loudly. By the time I’ve looked up all I saw was the car flash past and into the shop. I ran out straight away and called an ambulance.
“There was a woman just getting in her car outside when it happened. It just missed her and no more. She was very lucky.
“I’m surprised nobody else has been hurt and the shop wall has held, to be honest. It looks like the car came off worst.”
Several shop workers on the high street reported hearing a loud bang as the car smashed into the shop window.
The bumper of the silver Golf was lying on the pavement as police waited with the car until it was towed away.
The driver’s side of the vehicle was crumpled and the airbags had been deployed due to the force of the impact with the shop wall. More debris fell off the car as it was lifted onto the back of a pick-up truck.
Two other vehicles, a black Vauxhall Astra and grey Volkswagen Transporter van, were also damaged in the crash. Police confirmed one of them had been moving at the time. It is understood the other one was parked.
Despite the car’s extensive damage, only minor scratches were caused to Seafield Veterinary Group with bits of silver bodywork left marked on the wall.
Employees in the building were initially unaware a vehicle had driven into the side of their shop despite hearing the impact.
One said: “I heard an almighty bang. We have decorators in at the moment so I ran down to see what had happened and it was only then I saw a car had hit the window.
“There was a sea of people outside the shop after it had happened. It’s lucky it hadn’t hit anybody else as it was coming across the road.”
A police spokeswoman said: “We were called at 9.45am. Three vehicles were involved. One of them has gone into a shop window. An elderly man in his 80s was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital as a precaution with minor injuries.”
