'It's been quite a problem:' Demolition begins a month after truck crashes into building
The process to remove a truck that crashed into a building in Atwood a month ago started on Wednesday, as portions of the building were torn down to help dislodge the truck.
The logging truck and trailer crashed into the building around 6:15 a.m. Sep. 5, 2022. Diana Henning lives across the street from the crash site, and said she has been waiting for the demolition to happen ever since the crash.
“Every day you’d wonder if they’re going to do something, but they’d always put it off,” Henning said.
The building was originally a funeral home and furniture store. It was being turned into apartments, but had to be torn down because the truck hit the other side of the doublewide structure and was lodged in the building.
The owner of the property declined an interview but said he tried to get financial help as he thought the building could still be saved, but engineers determined it had to be torn down.
As locals waited weeks for something to happen, they started poking fun at the crash site, putting up a sign down the street that read “SEE ATWOOD’S FAMOUS TRUCK LEAVE A NICKEL” and “TRUCK FOR SALE AS IS WHERE IS.” Henning said she was also planning to make it a Halloween display if it was still there at the end of October.
“I was thinking that we were going to decorate if they don’t soon get it out. But they’re working at it,” Henning said.
According to Ontario Provincial Police, the driver was charged with careless driving, and the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Demolition crews shut down Main Street as they moved chunks of the building on Wednesday. Onlookers said they were happy to see it happening.
“Good to see right now. It’s been quite a problem for the last month while it’s been sitting there,” James Lisewski, who lives beside the crash site said. “So many people stopping out here looking at it, and everyone would ask you what happened. So you would have to keep telling them over and over.”
Lisewski said although it’s just a different eyesore now, it’s at least a step in the right direction.
“In a way, it’s good to see it go. On the other hand, I kind of feel sorry for the guy that owns it, because he has put a lot of money and time in there. So it’s just one of those things,” Lisewski said.
With files from CTV London.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.