Sofas smashed but no-one hurt in chain of collisions

A car ploughed through two sofa sets outside an Oamaru retail store on Tuesday after a two-vehicle crash, leaving the shop's owner in shock but thankful no-one was hurt.

The drama unfolded about 3.40pm after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Orwell St.

A small red hatchback was travelling north on State Highway 1 when it was struck by another vehicle that was heading west in Orwell St.

The vehicle struck the rear right-hand side of the hatchback, which caused it to swerve over a traffic island and continue across the southbound lane of the highway.

The hatchback then struck a 4WD parked at Beaurepaires which caused the hatchback to head towards I-Deal Furniture and Appliances and crash into two sofa sets, made up of two couches and four chairs, valued at about $8000, that were sitting outside the store.

The red hatchback kept arcing around across the road and into the southbound lane for a short distance, narrowly avoiding other vehicles before it came to a stop.

Damage to a 4WD vehicle after it was hit by a car that ploughed through two sofa sets outside a...
Damage to a 4WD vehicle after it was hit by a car that ploughed through two sofa sets outside a retail store in north Oamaru. PHOTO: SUPPLIED/NATHAN ARRAS

I-Deal Furniture and Appliances owner Nathan Arras rushed outside within seconds of the crash, some of which was captured on CCTV, to check on the driver.

 

"At the end of the day we were more worried about the car going out on the road. In the end we found out it was an old lady and it definitely wasn't her fault. She was the one who was hit,'' he said.

He said the outside of the shop suffered minor damage, and was relieved no customers or staff were outside the store at the time.

"Normally the fridges are out there, so luckily there weren't any out there and there's wasn't someone cleaning them or it would have made a hell of a mess.''

Mr Arras said he had seen several close calls at the intersection of the highway and Orwell St and had thought it was only a matter of time before an accident happened.

"It was only a month before, I was saying I have not seen a big doozy of an accident ... and then this happens.''

St John staff assessed two patients at the scene of the crash, which was also attended by an appliance from the Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade.

Sergeant Blair Wilkinson, of Oamaru, said no injuries were reported.

The driver of the hatchback, a 92-year-old woman, was transported to Oamaru Hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

daniel.birchfield@odt.co.nz

 

Add a Comment