A shop in Whalley has closed its doors temporarily after a car smashed through the building on Tuesday (October 22).
A white car crashed into No.51 on King Street, smashing the window, and causing damage to the building. There is a huge mess inside the shop.
Shop owner, Sarah Burke, said it was a “traumatic day” and is calling on the council to install bollards, or other road safety measures, to prevent this from happening again.
She said: “We are all still in shock and utter disbelief… I am still shaken up with the after-effects of the accident.”
She said the gas and electricity supply to the building has been affected.
She said: “We are working hard to get the shop reopened as soon as possible, as the run-up to Christmas is normally our busiest period, so this really could not have happened at a worse time!
Sarah is now asking Lancashire Council to consider installing more bollards along King Street.
She said: “We are making a plea to the council, to consider installing more bollards, as this would have almost certainly avoided quite so much damage.
“We were incredibly fortunate that the shop was empty at the time of the crash. Had that not been the case, I wouldn’t like to think about what could have happened.
“Our thoughts remain with the driver of the car and their family, we very much hope that they make a full recovery.”
She has thanked members of the public for their support.
“We are also keen to highlight the incredible response from the local community who have rallied around us with so many offers of support and assistance, both practical and emotional,” she said.
“The phone has barely stopped ringing! We are so appreciative of the effort everyone has gone to in order to help us out, it is a testament to the kindness of the residents and businesses of Whalley.”
Sarah said: “We hope that people will continue to support us in this way, while we endeavour to get our beautiful little shop back together.”
Councillor Ged Mirfin, who represents Ribble Valley North East, said: "I have requested an urgent site inspection and visit once the police conclude their accident investigation from the highways engineer.
"This is to consider the continuing utility of both the mini-roundabouts on King Street and whether traffic lights are not more appropriate.
"I also believe that enhanced barrier railings are required in front of the two shop premises to prevent a reoccurrence of incidents in the future."
Cllr Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: "We do sympathise with the owner of the No.51 in Whalley and are listening to their concerns following the incident this week.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident as we await the police report to establish what happened.
"When looking into requests for road safety measures we review data from the police on the number of recorded injury collisions.
"Requests for traffic calming measures are primarily funded through our Local Safety Schemes programme, and roads with the poorest safety records and highest number of collisions are prioritised.
"Funding is limited and any intervention from us must be done in a targeted way.
"I would also like to remind the public of their duty to drive responsibly, as not doing so can have serious consequences."
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