Real estate agent pinned as car crashed into Ray White office at Bateau Bay
VETERAN real estate agent Wayne Hockey is home and on the mend after he miraculously escaped death when an out-of-control car smashed through the plate glass shopfront of the Ray White office at Bateau Bay.
Central Coast
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VETERAN real estate agent Wayne Hockey is home and on the mend after he miraculously escaped death when an out-of-control car smashed through the plate glass shopfront of the Ray White office at Bateau Bay.
Emergency services were called at 9.20am on Wednesday following reports of a car crashing into the shop at the corner of Bateau Bay Rd and the Central Coast Highway.
On arrival paramedics found Mr Hockey pinned between a Subaru sedan, his desk and an internal wall.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and Central Coast Volunteer Rescue Association crews worked to free the man — who was trapped for about 30 minutes — and the elderly female driver of the car.
Mr Hockey was flown to John Hunter Hospital with suspected serious leg and pelvic injuries.
Staff comforted Mr Hockey while waiting for emergency services to arrive.
Ray White Bateau Bay directors Ken and Kate Folley said everyone was so relieved that Mr Hockey was recovering well after Wednesday’s accident.
“Wayne was kept in hospital overnight but he is home now and on the road to recovery,” the Folley’s said.
The couple bought the real estate business two months ago from Mr Hockey and Susan Eastway who had owned it for 25 years.
“Wayne is working with us in the business and we are just so relieved that he’s okay,” they said in a statement yesterday.
“We are open for business today and our clients can be rest assured that were are open and Wayne is okay.”
The driver, aged in her 70s, who had a disability parking permit attached to her windscreen was taken to Gosford Hospital with minor arm injuries.
A FRNSW spokesman said it appeared the elderly driver may have hit the accelerator instead of the brake while parking in front of the small strip of shops.
He said power to the shop was isolated and other staff had been safely evacuated.
The FRNSW spokesman said it was lucky no one was walking along the footpath at the time.
“There are a lot of variables,” he said.
“It was lucky there were no other injuries.”
Police are investigating.
