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| Mayor Terry Buckle |
(Scroll down for video) The newly elected mayor was left red faced when he crashed into a grocery store the first week on the job.
Ironically, he was a bus driving instructor before being elected mayor, and the accident marked his first accident in 56 years.
The former driving instructor, Terry Buckle, began his career as mayor of the British town of St. Edmundsbury, less than a week before the accident.
The 73-year-old mayor was parked in a handicapped spot, in front of a Tesco Express grocery store when he accidentally hit the accelerator smashing into the front door of the store. The mayor suffered shoulder injuries in the freak accident and was taken to a local hospital, but his pride was damaged even more.
At least he has a sense of humor. "I know people might think it's a joke that I became mayor and the first thing I have done is wreck my car,” he said. “But to me it was not funny, the thought that someone might have been hurt left me shaken up. I am so thankful that nobody was in the doorway when my car went through,” he added.
Mayor Buckle and his wife Pamela are known for their big hearts with an open house for anyone in need. The couple have been foster parents to many children for the past 26 years. So far, they have fostered 49 children, many with special needs or emotional difficulties. Some children have stayed with them for as long as eight years.
“Terry Buckle, is a good man, he has done a lot for the community. Accidents happen. One accident does not disqualify him or make him any less of a good person. We wish him good luck on the rest of his term as mayor,” Margaret Stewart, 39, of London, England, told YourJewishNews.com when asked her opinion on the accident.Mobile video not loading? Click here to view