Car crashes into a new optician’s shop set to open in Harborough town centre

Fire crews were called to the scene (photo courtesy of HFM).

A car has crashed into a new optician’s shop set to open in Market Harborough town centre.

The driver mounted the path before hitting and damaging the front of Henry Smith & Hamylton Opticians on the town’s High Street yesterday afternoon (Wednesday).

Stunned shoppers and passers-by looked on as the drama unfolded at about 4.15pm.

The motorist, who had been parked outside the business, was left shocked but escaped injury and no one else was hurt in the incident.

Firefighters and police raced to the scene at the heart of Market Harborough after the alarm was raised.

The driver of the automatic car is believed to have crashed after putting their vehicle into the wrong gear.

No one has been arrested over the accident.

Julia Overend, a director of Henry Smith & Hamylton Opticians, told us this afternoon: “It was just a very unfortunate accident.

“The main thing is that no one was injured.

“We had members of staff carrying out final checks on our equipment at the back of the premises and making sure that everything was in order at the time that this happened.

“But fortunately none of them were hurt,” said Julia, who lives near Market Harborough.

“It’s just one of those things.

“There were a couple in the car, they had just nipped into Market Harborough.

“But these things happen now and again.

“We have been working on this project for quite a while as we move into an old estate agent’s on the High Street.

“We were ready to open to the public in Market Harborough imminently.

“We’ll have to get the frontage of our business fixed now so that will set us back a little bit,” said Julia, who said this will be their eighth outlet in the area.

“But we are still hoping to open up to local people in August – and it’s going to be a very exciting new venture for us.”