A gold Range Rover crashed into the historic Market Cross in Howden, East Yorkshire, on Thursday morning, demolishing the Grade II-listed monument and leaving the vehicle perched on its base.
The collision happened shortly after 10.30am outside the Shire Hall in the town's Market Place. One pedestrian is believed to have been taken to hospital, though Humberside Police said there were no serious injuries.
Local Reaction and Damage Assessment
Local councillor David Howard, who was at home nearby when alerted to the crash, went to the scene to see the damage. He described the cross as "in a real mess" and said efforts were underway to determine ownership.
"It marks the centre of the town and it needs to be put back in some form – restored, repaired, replaced," Mr Howard said. "That's for the future. At the minute, we just need it to be safe and conserve as much as possible."
The independent councillor likened the scene to "a very, very interesting art installation at the motor show" and "almost an album cover from an early 1980s rock band."
History and Listed Status
According to the Historic England website, the structure is Grade II listed. The heritage body says the base is medieval, but the 16ft-high (5-metre) cross was erected in 1909.
Mr Howard noted confusion over the cross's history, saying he had believed parts of it were medieval but had been told it does not appear in some Victorian photographs. He added that the town centre is a conservation area and praised the work of the fire service, saying the accident could have been much worse.
Police Statement and Aftermath
A Humberside Police spokeswoman said the collision happened at about 10.38am. She said: "Officers were deployed to a reported road traffic collision in the area of Market Place, Howden, involving a car and a pedestrian this morning.
"Thankfully, nobody is believed to have sustained serious injuries as a result of the collision. The vehicle has since been recovered and the road closure that was put in place whilst emergency services attended has now reopened."
