Business owners and shoppers in Lisburn have reacted with shock after a PSNI car crashed into the front of a Spar shop in the city on Wednesday morning.
Videos circulating on social media showed how one woman narrowly escaped injury, as the car crashed through the front entrance and knocked cases of soft drink cans down around her.
The crash happened on the Longstone Road at around 11.35am, as police, responding to an emergency call, swerved at high speed to avoid hitting another vehicle.
Read more: Watch as PSNI car crashes into Spar shop in Lisburn
Staff at the nearby Titanic Vapour store said they were given an awful shock by the noise from the crash.
"Two police cars had flew past with their sirens blazing," one staff member told Belfast Live.
"About five minutes later, another one came down the road and there was another car that was turning into the car park.
"As the police came up, it turned and the police had to swerve obviously to avoid it.
"There was this almighty bang and we just ran."
"We were worried that our family might be in there, because my mummy would shop in there and everything," said another.
"It was really scary - we've seen a lot of accidents out there but that's the worst.
"I still don't feel right, but it's good the girl wasn't hurt, that's the main thing and we're thinking of her at the minute.
"It's just a godsend that there weren't more people about - that's a really busy shop, you'd usually have wee pensioners standing out the front chatting and you'd have dogs tied up out there too."
Anne Troughton, who works at the nearby Cards and Gifts shop, also said she was glad that the young woman seen in the video was not hurt.
"You've elderly people standing out there, you usually have dogs tied up, it never stops out the front of that shop.
"It was a miracle no one was killed."
Another worker at a shop in the area said she initially feared the worst when she heard the bang.
"It was unbelievable," she said.
"I was nearly sick when I saw what had happened, it was lucky nobody was coming out.
"There was a wee old lady that had come in afterwards, she came in with her walking stick - she had just parked and was walking along to go in and saw it all happen.
"She was still shaking by the time she came over here."
One woman, who works at a café nearby, said there was confusion at the initial sound of the crash.
"Everyone started running and panicking and a man who had run out was told to come back in and to stay away from it," she said.
"We couldn't believe it, it was an awful shock.
"We're just glad that it seems that everyone's alright, it could have been a lot worse."
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Shortly after 11.35am today, Wednesday 21st September, a police vehicle was involved in a road traffic collision on Longstone Street, Lisburn.
"The driver of the police vehicle was responding to an emergency when they had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with a vehicle driven by a member of the public.
"Damage was caused to commercial premises and there has been a report of one person receiving minor injuries.
"Enquiries are underway to establish what occurred and anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have captured it on their dash cam, is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 635 of 21/09/2022."
Henderson's Retail, which operates the Spar shop, has said it has now closed and that all shoppers and staff exited the store safely.
A spokesperson said: "The safety of our shoppers and staff is our priority and all were safely vacated from the store via an emergency exit.”
The shop has since reopened.
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