A car crashed through the front doors of Postie Plus in Pāpāmoa. Photo / Quae Hall
A car crashed through the front doors of Postie Plus in Pāpāmoa. Photo / Quae Hall
The concerned father of a shop worker trapped against a counter by a car that smashed through the Pāpāmoa store’s doors is calling for action to be taken to prevent a repeat.
The shop involved, Postie Plus, says the incident shocked staff and it wants to get bollards installed after the second crash into its frontage in four years, and following a similar incident at a neighbouring store two months ago.
Emergency services were called to Postie Plus in Pāpāmoa just before 1pm on Sunday after reports a person had driven their vehicle through the front of a store. Postie Plus is among a collection of stores next to the Fashion Island shopping centre on Gravatt Rd.
Police attended but told the Bay of Plenty Times no one would be charged in relation to the crash.
A St John spokesperson said an ambulance was sent and a patient was assessed and treated at the scene.
Former local resident Adam Gallichan said his daughter was caught up in the incident. She did not want to speak to the media or be named but had consented to him sharing his concerns.
Gallichan, who moved to Wellington a week before the incident, said his wife called him on Sunday to say a car had driven through the front of the Postie Plus shop where their daughter worked.
“She rang me in a panic. It was worst for me I think because I didn’t know the facts of what had happened.
“She was working at the Postie Plus counter when the car drove through the window.”
Gallichan understood his daughter was trapped between the counter and the car when the vehicle accelerated - he believed accidentally - again.
“She screamed out for help. She was worried she’d be pushed further under the car.”
Emergency services were called and Gallichan’s daughter was freed. No hospital treatment was needed.
Emergency services respond after a car crashed through the front doors of Postie Plus in Pāpāmoa on Sunday. Photo / Quae Hall
But Gallichan said the situation could have been worse, but it was frustrating considering it was “not the first time it’s happened”.
In September, a car crashed through the front of Bay Radiology and into an interior wall shared with a neighbouring store, Plum Organics. Postie Plus is Bay Radiology’s neighbour on the other side.
In 2018, a vehicle accidentally drove through the front windows of Postie Plus but did not cause significant damage, according to a spokeswoman.
Gallichan said he wanted Postie Plus to move the front desk for bollards to be installed outside the store.
“This is a reoccurring problem in the area.”
Gallichan said the community needed to come together to prioritise safety, especially as ram raids were on the rise.
Postie Plus managing director Linda Leonard said its team was shocked by the accident and relieved nobody involved was seriously injured.
She said the front glass of the store was damaged, along with some joinery, fixtures and ceiling tiles, and there were skid marks. The store was open and had been secured, with repairs expected over the next few days. The cost of the damage was still being assessed.
The company agreed action needed to be taken to protect staff and the community, especially as it was not the first incident.
“While it has been suggested that we move the location of the counter within the store, we are currently exploring a much more comprehensive safety solution.
“Conversations with the landlord have already started around the installation of bollards in front of the entire store as the most effective way of protecting everyone - our team and our shoppers - from a similar accident happening in the future.
“We take any incident that compromises the safety of our team and customers very seriously, and have fully co-operated with the local authorities to provide them with information as well as actively supporting our staff who were working at the time.”
