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Supermarket worker critical after Bayfair incident

Author
Bay of Plenty Times,
Publish Date
Tue, 11 Jul 2023, 2:29pm
Bayfair Shopping Centre. Photo / NZME
Bayfair Shopping Centre. Photo / NZME

Supermarket worker critical after Bayfair incident

Author
Bay of Plenty Times,
Publish Date
Tue, 11 Jul 2023, 2:29pm

A supermarket worker remains critically injured in hospital this morning after being hit by a vehicle that drove through the front window of a Westpac store at the Bayfair Shopping Centre.

Emergency services were called to the scene just after midday Monday.

A Countdown yesterday spokesperson confirmed the incident involved a Countdown team member.

”Our thoughts are with the injured team member, and we are providing them and our wider team with support as needed.”

This morning, a Te Whatu Ora Waikato spokesman said the person remained in critical condition in Waikato Hospital.

A police spokeswoman this morning said the District Command Centre had told her “as far as they’re aware it was accidental, likely someone accelerating by mistake.”

No charges had been laid at this stage, she said.

A reporter at the scene on Monday said the front of the Westpac building had been smashed in and glass was on the footpath.

The area was cordoned off and a car was being towed.

A witness, who did not wish to be named, said she arrived on the scene shortly after it happened.

”When I arrived, the fire truck was just pulling up. There were already police cars on the scene and they were just cordoning off the area.

”I saw the black SUV was right up on the kerb and a person lying inside the store window.

“Staff from Westpac were kind of just holding this person waiting for [the] ambulance to arrive. It looks like they got pushed through the window.

“It’s what I understand - the car jumped the kerb and hit them through the window.”

Westpac New Zealand head of customer experience north Andrew Twidle said a vehicle drove through the front window of its Bayfair branch just after midday.

”In doing so it struck a pedestrian who was outside the branch at the time.

”No one inside the branch was injured, however, the branch is closed and support is being offered to staff and customers.”

A St John spokesman said one patient was in a serious condition.

St John was notified of the incident on Girven Rd at 12.05pm. Two ambulances and a clinical support manager responded and are still on scene, the spokesman said.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said no one was trapped after a car went into a building at the Bayfair shopping centre.

The spokesman said it was notified at 12.07pm. It sent three fire trucks to the scene and assisted St John.

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