A lorry smashed into the corner of a busy charity shop in Nantwich while dozens of people browsed inside, witnesses said today.
Police have closed off High Street in Nantwich after the incident this afternoon (December 23).
The articulated lorry was travelling from Beam Street and around the right-hand bend on Oat Market when it crashed into the front of the Hope House Hospice charity store.
Witnesses said the impact brought lots of debris down onto the footpath and road below, and has left a large crack in the front of the building.
Dozens of police were on the scene in minutes to close off the road and seal off the building.
Witnesses say the lorry driver was also questioned at the scene by officers.
One witness who was inside the shop at the time told Nantwich News: “It just came round the bend and was struggling because people had parked on double yellow lines again.
“I just heard this massive crash!
“Thankfully no one inside the shop was injured, but if anyone had been walking on the path by the shop at the time they could have been killed by the amount of debris that came down.”
The town is packed with shoppers snapping up those last minute Christmas gifts.
A Cheshire Police spokesperson said: “At around 2.38pm today, Friday 23 December, police were called to reports that a white Renault lorry had collided with a shop in Swine Market, Nantwich.
“Officers attended to assist with traffic management. No injuries were sustained.”
It’s not the first time the Hope House charity shop has been hit by a vehicle on that bend.
(Images courtesy of Nantwich News reader)
Need something better than yellow lines given the constant queues there, far too dangerous, why are folk so thick when they park up? Its not all about you you know, the town is for all
Only time the police show up in Nantwich is when trying to make money out of catching speeders on main road
It’s all the blue badge holders, they leave their cars wherever they want because they are entitled to. Take that entitlement away & it will stop. Just another gorgeous market town being ruined by high volumes of traffic & shocking parking
Why are articulated lorries permitted to travel through Oat Market?
It’s about time that section of town was prohibited for HGV’s.
The problem is that blue badge holders are allowed to park on double yellow lines. There don’t seem to be any particular restrictions, so people seem to park anywhere even where it causes traffic problems. However they shouldn’t park within 15 metres of a junction, which may have been the case here. Traffic wardens can ask a driver to move on if they are badly parked, but I’m not sure whether they can issue a parking ticket.
I’m a disabled driver and have parked on double yellow lines to which my badge entitles me to, trouble is people without blue badges park in disable bays this stopping genuine people there rights.
Did anyone take the time to check if they were badge holders or not.
Even a blue badge holders must consider to park in a safe and responsible manner.
The ‘root’ cause is too many people in the town thus too many vehicles. Current infrastructure can’t cope
the problem is some driver do not care where they park
Where are the traffic wardens monitoring the drivers parked on double yellow lines?
Its a nightmare
I’m sorry that this happened
The route cause is all the cars parked on the double yellow lines