Car Crashes Into Shop Famous for Viral Gran Incident
A shop that gained viral fame when a grandmother was caught on its shutter is back in the news after a car smashed through its front doors.
The Best-One shop in Tonteg, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was struck by a Jaguar that mounted bollards and crashed through the entrance, coming to a halt near the coffee machine. The incident was captured on CCTV.
This is not the first time the shop has made headlines. In March 2024, it went viral after staff member Anne Hughes became caught on the shop's shutter while waiting to start her shift. Footage showed Ms. Hughes dangling approximately seven feet in the air. The video of the incident was viewed tens of millions of times.
Shop staff described the latest incident as "scary." Donna Davies, who has worked at the shop for several years, stated that the car "just came straight through" with a loud noise, initially leading them to believe it might be ram-raiders. Upon investigating, she found an elderly driver and passenger, who are regulars at the shop, in the vehicle. The driver reportedly explained that his foot slipped as he was getting out of the car.
The shop's shutter, which had previously been updated by local graffiti artist Tee2Sugars to commemorate Ms. Hughes' viral moment, has now been further altered to include the car crash. Ms. Davies remarked that Anne would have found the situation amusing and would likely appreciate the updated artwork. Customers have also found humor in the sequence of events.
Hakim Akram, nephew of the shop owner and an employee, described the event as "surreal and very loud." He noted that some initially mistook the footage on social media for a prank or an AI-generated event. Despite the damage to the shop front, the owner and family worked to repair it quickly to keep the business operational.
Anne Hughes' family expressed relief that no one was seriously injured. Her son humorously commented on the shop's "luck," adding, "Tonteg Best-One - the only shop in the UK where you can be lifted 7ft in the air on Monday and driven through on a Friday." They were also pleased that the artwork honoring their mother remained undamaged. Her grandchildren joked that while their nan might have preferred a Bentley, she would accept a Jaguar depicted next to her on the shutter.