A crowd gathered at the Marewa shops yesterday evening after a woman with three children in her car ran into a pedestrian railing in the middle of Kennedy Rd.
Witnesses said the woman continued driving toward the central city with the front bumper dragging under the car and coolant spilling from the engine.
She then turned the car around to park in front of the shops where she got out and began screaming at the children, blaming them for the accident. She was then seen kicking the car while the children sat inside it.
The eldest child, described as a girl about 12, got out and ran from the scene.
A man at the shops, who later told police he feared for the safety of the children and the woman, took the car keys from her and drove the children home.
Police said one witness said the woman also began swearing at members of the public. She was described as intoxicated and was later arrested.
Earlier in the day Emerson St lost a verandah column after an elderly woman backed into it.
The woman was trying to park outside Barkers clothing store about midday when she hit the pole, breaking the concrete. Her car ended up on top of the post.
Sergeant Ray Wylie said the driver may have pressed the accelerator instead of the brake but police would not know the details until she could be interviewed.
"It doesn't take much speed to cause a lot of damage," he said.
The woman, believed to be in her 80s, was checked by ambulance staff but was not believed to be injured. No one else was hurt.
Footloose manager Michelle Oliver said: "Everyone in the shops helped out, it was a good community effort."
