Car ploughs into busy Next store forcing panicked customers to flee

14 September 2023 , 15:07

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The car smashed through a Cornwall Next store (Image: Justin Wiggan)

Shoppers and staff made a miracle escape after a car ploughed into a busy Next store, totally wrecking the fashion outlet.

The terrifying near-miss happened at the popular Treliske Retail Park in Truro, Cornwall, as dozens of customers browsed items. The Land Rover Discovery ended up far into the branch with its windows totally smashed and clothing strewn across the floor.

Mannequins were sent flying and shattered everywhere, as people fled when the vehicle lost control and hurtled through the front of the store. The outlet was immediately evacuated following the incident, which happened at around 4pm yesterday.

The driver was checked over by an ambulance crew and treated for minor injuries at the scene. Police are now investigating and the store will be closed for at least the next week. Police, ambulance and fire crews were all sent to the scene.

Everyone was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon (Justin Wiggan)

Incredibly, no-one was hurt after the driver lost control (Ellis Xbt)

A Next spokesperson told the Mirror: "We can confirm that a car was driven into our store on the Tresliske Retail Park in Truro yesterday at 3.55pm. The store was immediately evacuated. We do not have any other details at present since this is being handled by the local police, only to add that thankfully no one was hurt.

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"We are confident that the store will be partially open by the end of next week." A witness told Cornwall Live: “I’m not sure quite how it unfolded but the shop was immediately evacuated by staff and an ambulance and fire engine were on scene within minutes. No injuries to the best of my knowledge but paramedics were tending to the driver, everyone else seemed to just be in shock out the front of the store.

It will take over a week for the store to reopen (Ellis Xbt)

Only the driver of the vehicle needed to been treated by paramedics (Justin Wiggan)

"As you can see from the picture the car has ended up quite far into the shop.” It is understood that no arrests have been made. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Police were called at 3.55pm today, 13 September, after a vehicle was in collision with a Truro store.

The vehicle went through the glass frontage and ended up around 10ft inside the Next store at Treliske Retail Park. No-one inside the vehicle or the shop was injured. The female driver was checked over by ambulance. The fire service also attended and the area has been made safe. The store sustained damage to its glass doors."

A Cornwall Fire Service statement read: "One appliance from Truro attended a call to a vehicle that had driven into a shop front. Firefighters made the scene safe whilst paramedics treated one casualty. There are no more details available on this incident."

Daniel Clark