Seven cars damaged in station crash

A man, believed to be aged in his late 80s, is understood to have hit two cars at Ballydown filling station on the Castlewellan Road just before 9am last Monday February 21 before smashing through three security bollards and crashing into three more cars at Automoto next door.

Showroom owner, Ian McCallister, estimated damage could amount to at least £7,000 and said he was shocked by the incident. “I was in the showroom at the time when I heard a crash outside,” he said. “It was all over in a matter of seconds. Two of the cars at the showroom were badly damaged and one was completely written off.”

But Mr McCallister said the incident, in which no-one was injured, could have been much worse.

“The lamp-post brought the car to a halt,” he said. “If it hadn’t been for that I’d say the car would have been across the road and into the Meadows housing estate.”

Police have appealed for witnesses of the incident to get in touch on 0845 600 8000.