Car Crashes into Shop Window in Geel After Pedal Error

A driver accidentally crashed his car through the front window of a gift shop in Geel, Belgium, on Monday evening after mistaking the accelerator for the brake pedal. Despite significant damage to the store, no injuries were reported, according to VRT NWS.

The Incident

The accident occurred around 17:40 on June 29 at “Het Kaarsenhuisje” (The Candle House), a gift shop located on Zammelseweg in Geel. The driver, a regular customer, had stopped by to pick up a package before attending his son’s graduation ceremony.

As he attempted to brake, his foot slid off the brake pedal onto the accelerator. The car drove straight through the shop window, pushing three meters of shelving into the store. The shelves were filled with porcelain and glass decorations, which shattered upon impact.

Shop owner Bjorn Toebat described the scene to VRT NWS: “Everything shattered into pieces, a hellish noise, comparable to a glass container being emptied.”

A Narrow Escape

Security footage reviewed by Toebat revealed that a customer had narrowly avoided disaster. “One customer was incredibly lucky, because less than 10 seconds before the accident he had walked right past that shelving, otherwise he would have been crushed in between,” Toebat said.

The driver, whose car was only three months old, was uninjured but deeply shaken. “That man was obviously completely in shock and it was very clear that was not his intention,” Toebat added.

Contributing Factor

According to the driver, the anti-slip rubber cover on his brake pedal was damaged and had not yet been repaired. This may have caused his foot to slide off the brake and onto the accelerator. Toebat noted the incident could happen to anyone, telling VRT NWS: “It can happen to anyone. Never say never.”

Aftermath

The shop remained open on Tuesday, June 30, but approximately one-quarter of the store is cordoned off. The main entrance is inaccessible, and customers are being directed to a secondary entrance. Staff spent the morning inventorying the damage, and it remains unclear when the windows can be replaced, particularly with the summer construction holiday approaching.

Local radio station Geel FM reported that the shop’s planned expansion with a sandwich corner may also be delayed as a result of the accident.

Safety Context

Pedal misapplication accidents are a well-documented phenomenon in traffic safety research, often occurring in parking lots or low-speed environments. Contributing factors can include driver distraction, vehicle design, footwear, and mechanical issues such as damaged pedal covers. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining vehicle pedal integrity as a basic safety feature.