If a car had smashed through the window of a Ewell shop just seconds later, three employees would have been seriously hurt, the owner has said.
The Jaguar destroyed one front wall and left a window shattered
Marina Gavin, owner of RAM Security and Fire Solutions on Ewell High Street, said she and two assistants were preparing to take down Valentine’s Day decorations in the window when a Jaguar smashed through it, destroying the shop front and showering the pavement with debris, glass and bricks.
From Monday: 'Ram-raid': Jaguar smashed into front of Ewell Village shop
The front window was completely smashed in and bricks and debris were lying on the pavement after the crash. A wall at the front of the shop, which is on a bend in the road, has been virtually destroyed.
Now they are counting the cost of repairs.
Police said the suspected cause of the crash – which happened at 10.15am on Monday – is that the 82 year-old male driver suffered a black out.
He was taken to Epsom Hospital as a precaution.
The storefront was reduced to rubble
Mrs Gavin, 40, said: “We were in the room next door in the other part of the shop when it happened and we were literally two seconds away from taking down the decorations.
“Someone really was looking after us because we all would have been seriously hurt.
“It really was a close thing; we were very lucky no one was hurt.”
A nurse was in the car behind the Jaguar, and CCTV footage shows her rushing to the aid of the elderly driver.
An ambulance also arrived within three or four minutes, according to Mrs Gavin, who said they were both a credit to the NHS.
She said: “They were both really amazing – the nurse reacted so quickly and you could not fault either her or the ambulance crew. They were incredible.
“I’d just like to thank them if I could.”
Witnesses reported hearing a very loud bang and seeing a female RAM employee emerge from the shop looking visibly shaken up.
Richard Wade, who works at nearby 1 Stop Data, said: “We heard the commotion from our office so we came out to offer assistance.
“This is not the first time an accident like this has happened on this same junction.
"There was a woman on the other side of the window.
"It was a very close call. She was very shaken up, understandably.
"I hope this will get the council to sort out the road."
Mrs Gavin said the damage to the shop was so extensive it has been forced to close for the foreseeable future.
It is estimated it will cost between £15,000 and £20,000 to repair the storefront.
A sign on what is left of the door announcing its closure read: Visitors please exit your car before entering our building.
Surrey Police confirmed officers attended Cheam Road in Ewell at around 10.20am on Monday, 15 February following reports that a vehicle had collided with the front of a shop.
A police spokesman said: "The driver reported no injuries but was taken to Epsom Hospital as a precaution.
"Significant damage was caused to the front of the shop.
"No other persons were harmed."
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