Car damaged as scaffolding collapses
Around a dozen cars were damaged when the scaffolding, which stretched the length of a large industrial unit in Trusham Road, Marsh Barton, came crashing down.
The scaffolding had been put up to replace the roof of the building, which is owned by Minster Insulation.
The Health and Safety Executive is looking into the incident, which happened at around 9.30am yesterday.
Several police units, an ambulance crew and a fire crew arrived at the scene and roads were temporarily closed, causing severe traffic disruption.
The area was cordoned off over fears that the remaining scaffolding might collapse.
No one was hurt in the accident, but a 21-year-old nursery nurse from Exmouth, who is eight months pregnant, and her partner were hit by the scaffolding as they were driving past.
The woman and her partner, who do not want to be named, were driving in their blue Peugeot 207 when they had to swerve to avoid being crushed by the falling debris.
The woman's mother, Linda Gibbons, of Exmouth, said her daughter was in shock.
"They were driving up to the roundabout past the building when they saw in the corner of their eyes the scaffolding coming down, so they changed lanes," she said. "If they had not got out of the lane it would have gone into the roof."
The scaffolding hit the passenger side of the car and the windscreen.
"They are both very shocked, and my daughter is a bit subdued," said Ms Gibbons, who works at Exeter Information Centre.
"But they have been given a clean bill of health. The paramedics were wonderful as were the staff at Reflections Bathrooms who helped them."
Many of the cars were severely damaged, with smashed windscreens and crushed roofs and bonnets.
PC Emily Sheppard said the cause of the incident was unknown.
"We are in the preliminary stages of finding out what happened," she said.
"It was quite a gusty day so we can only surmise what might have happened. Traffic was absolute pandemonium."
Giles Warren, 36, who works at ALS Motor Parts, in Marsh Barton, found a metal scaffolding pole impaled through the windshield of his van.
"It was total devastation," he said. "I was gutted when I saw my van, my stomach was in my throat. I sometimes sit in the van and have my dinner, that is the frightening thing. You would think scaffolding would be more secure."
Marsh Barton worker Matt Poyner, an employee at Guardian Security just a few yards from the site, said: "A woman came rushing in shouting that the scaffolding had come down. I rushed out and it was amazing. The whole lot had come down.
"It had not been that windy. It was just so lucky there was no one in the cars or anyone walking under when it came down."
The incident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.
Lisa Benbow, head of communications for Minster Insulation, said: "We have suspended the contractor pending the outcome of our own safety investigation and that of the Health and Safety Executive.
"We will be working with them to help establish the cause of the collapse."
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