A Taranaki lawnmower seller is still trying to catch up after guarding his accidentally damaged shop in the early hours of Sunday morning when he said police were too “short of staff” to help.
What Joseph Penberth spends is the “overwhelming support” by those who have offered donations, lunches, fruits from their trees, the help needed to repair the store, and more.
Stephanie Ockhuysen / Stuff
Lawnmower and service center owner Joseph Penberth pictured with 5-year-old daughter Isabelle still felt exhausted on Tuesday.
“I was blown away,” Penberth, who owns Lawnmower Sales & Service Center, said Tuesday.
Police have not yet been able to arrest anyone in connection with the Sunday morning collision, which CCTV footage shows involved a vehicle crashing into the Blagdon store and smashing the glass before the driver ran away.
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Joseph Penberth / Supplier
CCTV footage captured the crash – and the driver ran away.
Before the accident, police signaled for the car to stop, after seeing it speeding on South Rd, but it fled and was not pursued.
Penberth was alerted to the crash by a friend at 1:15 a.m., on the corner of Devon St West and Blagdon Rd.
He said he was met by police officers, and was told by one that they should come into town to help with another incident.
“I was like ‘oh man, I need some sleep’.”
Joseph Penberth / Supplier
Glass was scattered everywhere, and some lawn mowers were damaged.
When the officer tried to leave, Penberth said he asked him to stay and make a few calls to get someone to drop by the store, which he did.
The officer stayed until the towing vehicle arrived, he said.
“And that was it, he left me at the store.”
Police were asked questions on Sunday about the incident and the number of officers working overnight on Saturday.
In a statement sent out by e-mail on Monday night, Belinda Dewar, commander of the Taranaki area, said she would not disclose the number of officers working “for operational reasons”.
Dewar acknowledged the incident would have had a significant and traumatic impact on Penberth, but said she was “satisfied that the staff who provided the appropriate level of service in this case”.
Police continued to remain on the scene and provided support, assistance and information on how to best secure the property, she said.
Meanwhile, police are continuing to make inquiries to determine who was responsible and Dewar encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact the police via 105 and quote file number 220626/7829.