Car smashes through downtown Bristol storefront

All of Route 114 in downtown Bristol was closed to traffic after a car jumped the curb and slammed into an empty storefront.

The accident occurred just before 4 p.m. Monday at 495 Hope St., just south of (and a few feet away from) a Coldwell Banker real estate office. It happened a few doors south of the Bristol Post Office, near Dunkin Donuts and other small retail shops and restaurants.

Witnesses said no one was injured, either inside the building or behind the wheel of the silver Toyota. Police officers immediately blocked traffic in both directions and cordoned off the area, pushing back scores of bystanders who were shooting video and snapping pictures with their camera phones in the busy downtown block.

Witnesses at the scene believe a driver parked in the southbound lane, in front of the building, inadvertantly hit the gas instead of the brake. No other vehicles were involved.