Oswestry shop owner says it was a 'miracle' no one was killed in crash which caused town evacuation
A store owner says "it was a miracle no one was killed" after a car ploughed through railings on a busy school route.
A large 4x4 style vehicle crashed through railings in Oswestry's Church Street at around 8.30am yesterday.
The vehicle left a huge hole in the wall of Textile Express and owner Stephen Jones said the incident could have been catastrophic.
He said: "At the beginning of the school day and at the end of the school day that pavement is packed with kids, it is an absolute miracle no one was killed.
"It is a miracle there was not a line of children there, it just does not bear thinking about."
Mr Jones said that the car had smashed through the wall of the Textile Express premises into the company's office where his staff would have been sat only 20 minutes later.
"The building is a concern but our biggest consideration is thank goodness no one was killed. The staff start here at nine and they could have been killed."
The building, which is one of the oldest in Oswestry, dates back to the 1540 when it was the boarding house, The Coach and Dogs.
Police cordoned off the street following the incident and evacuated nearby properties after the collision ruptured a gas main.
The cost of damage to the property, which is Grade II listed, is estimated in the region of £40,000 to £50,000.
Mr Jones said that the incident had caused a loss of trade to the shop although he stressed that his main concern was the safety of schoolchildren and his staff.
He said: "This shop has significant internet sales and sends parcels around the world so now everyone is safe the main consideration is the loss of IT which was based in the room it hit. That is significant for us because we sell a lot of fabric on the internet."
