Car Crashes into Supermarket Giving Worker a Terrifying 'Close Call With Death'

A shopkeeper's "close call with death" was caught on security camera when a car ploughed through the front window of Allenton Fresh Supermarket in Ashburton, New Zealand, on Thursday, May 1. This footage shows the store owner, Mayank Patel, stocking cigarette shelves behind the counter when headlights from a black car begin to point towards the shop. The car then rams through the window, crushing Patel's knee between the falling shelf and his counter. The shopkeeper manages to wriggle himself free and runs around to the door. Patel told Storyful: "I was working in the store when someone hit my shop where I was working. It was nearly a close call with death." The source said his knee was still injured from the ordeal. In a statement provided to Storyful, a spokesperson for Fire and Emergency New Zealand said crews responded to a "car v building motor vehicle crash around 5.50pm on 1 May at Allenton Fresh in Ashburton." "Two trucks attended the incident from the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade and assisted police and ambulance services." The New Zealand Herald https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ashburton-supermarket-crash-footage-shows-the-moment-car-ploughs-into-store/SDNHTUAMGRFQXFKJFNB7JQCTXQ/ reported that Patel first thought he was the victim of a ram-raid, but later discovered it was a woman driving the car with two teenage passengers. The shop closed briefly after the accident, with the store sharing an update on Saturday, May 3, to say it had reopened on https://www.facebook.com/share/18vWd3Lvbe/ Facebook. "We want to sincerely thank everyone who reached out with concern and kind words after the recent accident at our store. Your support truly meant a lot to us during this unexpected time. We're happy to let you know that we've resumed business and are back to serving you as usual," the post from Allenton Fresh said on Facebook. (Footage by Mayank Patel/Storyful via Getty Images UGC)