A allegedly stolen vehicle crashed straight into the front of Rubies and Rust and Touchstone Craft Gallery on Olinda-Monbulk Road in Olinda in the early hours of Friday morning, 16 January.
The car hit the post separating the two shops, knocking beautiful glass from the shelves and causing significant damage to Touchstone. The other store was also impacted, though the damage is believed to be less costly.
Both shops, owned by Marquita and Glenn Telford, suffered significant damage, with the front largely destroyed and the roof temporarily supported.
Ms Telford said her first reaction was “holy crap.” The car was still there, and debris had flown from the front window through more than half the shop.
“It was a massive impact – just crazy,” Ms Telford said.
“This is our livelihood. No trade means no money, yet the bills keep coming. We’re hoping insurance helps, but it’s early days and there’s still a lot of uncertainty.”
The crash happened just before 6am, no one was inside the shops at the time, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
“The structural damage is massive, the fronts of both shops are basically destroyed, and we’re still holding up the roof. It’s pretty significant,” Ms Telford said.
According to nearby CCTV footage, Ms Telford said two people fled the vehicle.
Police confirmed that after the vehicle struck the store, two offenders fled the scene.
The crash is currently under investigation and Ms Telford, concerned about business interruption and financial impact, is awaiting insurance assessments.
