Terry Matheson, owner of Matheson Jewellers & Fine Art, surveys the damage after a car barreled into his business  on Turner Rd. on Tuesday, Aug. 23. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

close call

Car rams through north Nanaimo business, owner calls for safety improvements

Aug 23, 2022 | 2:15 PM

NANAIMO — An elderly motorist accidentally crashed through the front windows of a Turner Rd. business Tuesday afternoon, causing considerable damage.

Nobody was injured when a silver Volkswagen Jetta jumped the curb and smashed into the front window and steel bars of the Matheson Jewellers & Fine Art store in Northridge Village on Tuesday, Aug. 23 around 1:15 p.m.

On-scene emergency responders confirmed nobody was injured.

The driver was assessed on scene and provided a ride home, while her car was towed from the scene.

Terry Matheson, owner of Matheson Jewellers & Fine Art, said while several valuable oil paintings were destroyed, thankfully nobody was hurt.

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He was in the back of the store when the accident occurred and nobody else was inside at the time.

Emergency responders assess the damage following a car hopping the curb and crashing into a business at Northridge Village. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

He said about three minutes prior an elderly client had left the store and he was away from the front end of the store to make coffee.

Matheson said this is the second time in 12 years a vehicle has crashed into his store, noting the same thing has happened multiple other times in recent years to neighbouring businesses.

He said they have long called for store-front protective barriers to prevent these types of accidents from occurring.

Motorists accidently driving into businesses in Nanaimo occurs on a semi-regular basis. There have been multiple similar incidents in Nanaimo this year, including at a Bowen Rd. pet store and north Nanaimo dance academy.

(Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

@reporterholmes