(LaCrosse, IN) - Officials in LaCrosse are waiting for cost estimates before moving forward on fixing the heavy damage to the town hall caused by a motor vehicle crashing into it. LaPorte County Police estimated damage to the structure at $50,000.
Clerk-Treasurer Kelly Kiel said insurance agents were still calculating the repair bill after examining the building Monday and Tuesday.
“We want to see what the cost of fixing it is before deciding,” Kiel said.
According to police, a 2007 Dodge RAM pick-up after 9 p.m. on Saturday crashed into the building at 13 North Washington Street. The damage included broken windows and wall fascia. In addition, the front of the brick structure was pushed in by about three feet, police said.
The driver, Taylor Kleine, 19, of LaCrosse, explained she was turning from Main Street onto Washington Street when the truck accelerated suddenly, causing her to lose control of the vehicle.
It’s believed the crash was caused by Kleine not being accustomed to the horsepower of her boyfriend’s truck after typically driving cars with less powerful engines. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
The town hall is still open because the damage was confined primarily to the now boarded-up front glass windows and the inside of Kiel's office. No computers or any other equipment was damaged.
Kiel has reported for work every day but stays just a few hours because the temperature in her office is in the 50s from cold air coming in from gaps in the plywood covering the broken windows. Offices in the rest of the building are warm, she said.
A temporary dropbox for people to pay their utility bills will be installed soon to replace the one taken out in the crash. A new permanent drop box is included in the plans to repair the damage to the building which once housed the fire station.
