Dylan Winborne was in the JD gym when a car ploughed through the wall and has told how another man using equipment was thrown into the air
The car ploughed through the wall of the gym(Image: Dylan Winborne)
A man who was inside the busy JD gym when a car dramatically ploughed through the wall sending bricks and debris hurtling inside has spoken of the moment he thought there was an ‘explosion’.
Emergency services including paramedics and fire crews were called to the scene at the Angouleme retail park shortly before 5pm on Tuesday (April 14) to reports of the vehicle striking the wall of the gym near Rochdale Road.
Chaotic videos from inside and shared with the Manchester Evening News showed dust and bricks falling into the busy gym as customers were using the facilities. The bonnet of the car was wedged in the wall as customers quickly fled the area.
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Amid the mayhem, people could be heard shouting “move, move!” moments after the collision, with an alarm also blaring in the background. The gym was forced to close following the major smash.
Dylan Winborne, 21, who was at the gym with a friend told of the moment a man using the machines was sent flying ‘two metres’ into the air after the car smashed through the external wall. Police confirmed a man in his 60s was rushed to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
He said he thought there had been an ‘explosion’ after seeing a ‘barrage of concrete and bricks’ hurtle into the gym being used by customers at the time. It was then that he noticed the headlights from the car, which had become wedged in the wall.
“Me and my mate were in there working on our back,” he said. “We’d only been there for about 15 minutes and we were literally just about to go onto the machine where the accident happened.
“As we were walking over to it, we just saw a massive barrage of concrete and bricks flying. I thought it was an explosion at first. [Through the] rubble the headlights of the car were shining through.
“It was a crash and I was only like a metre or so away from it. A guy was on the machine and he got hit by the car and went flying up, probably about two metres away from it and he was bleeding from the neck. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.
“I went over to the guy straight away to see if he was alright and then I backed off a little bit because I didn’t want to touch him just in case he had a serious injury.
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“About five minutes after that everyone got evacuated from the gym and we went outside. Within ten minutes there was a helicopter there there were loads of police cars.”
A large cordon was put in place, as the gym temporarily closed due to the damage. A scene could be seen surrounding the car park with the vehicle wedged into the external wall.
The driver of the car, a woman in her 40s, was rescued from the car by fire crews and also injured. She remains in hospital and has also been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving, police have confirmed.
A statement issued by Greater Manchester Police read: “Officers responded to an incident at 4.45pm today (14/04/2026) at JD Gym on George Street, Bury, with the assistance of NWAS and the Greater Manchester Fire Service. It was reported that a car had driven through the wall of JD Gym, resulting in structural damage of the building.
“In the incident a man in his 60’s has been struck by the car whilst inside the gym and has sustained non-life changing injuries. Woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving, she remains in hospital at this time. If you have any information, please contact officers on 101 or LiveChat quoting log 2424 of 14/04/2026.”
The gym later posted a statement on social media, describing how a ‘vehicle made contact with the exterior of the building’ causing damage. It announced the gym would be closing until further notice with building surveyors also sent to the site.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 5pm on Tuesday 14 April, fire crews were called to reports of a road traffic collision on George Street, Bury.
“Two fire engines from Bury and Whitefield stations, as well as the technical rescue unit from Ashton, were quickly mobilised to the incident, which involved a car colliding with a commercial building.
“Firefighters extricated a woman from the car, while another man inside the building was injured in the collision. Both were treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital by North West Ambulance Service.
“Fire crews remain in attendance, working with Greater Manchester Police and the local council’s building inspection team to make the area safe.”
