3/13 NewsArk

Canines clobber Chamber kiosk

December 1, 2000 edition of McKenzie River Reflections

WALTERVILLE: An errant Ford van left it’s mark in the Walterville Shopping Center Thursday afternoon, traveling across the parking lot backwards and crashing into the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce’s information kiosk. The force of it’s impact sent shattered glass splattering across a car driven by area resident Wendell Austin, who said a steel post saved him “from getting clobbered too.”

Witnesses said the van, owned by Cheryl Metteer of Walterville, had been parked near the post office with it’s motor running. Whether it jumped into gear by itself or if the two German shepherds left inside contributed to the accident isn’t clear. Austin estimated the vehicle was traveling close to 30 mph when it hit the structure. A wave of broken glass hit his vehicle broadside. The dogs he guessed could have “both been registered, but they probably weren’t licensed” to drive a car.

No one was injured in the incident, which occurred shortly after 4 pm, according to Chamber president Ed Kemp. “Luckily the vehicle was insured,” Kemp said. It’s estimated costs of replacing the structure will run into several thousand dollars.

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