WESTPORT — Shattered glass. Twisted metal. Scattered pots and pans.
And, what appears to be a small ridge of snow and ice along the parking lot’s edge.
That’s what Fire Department photos show from the Wednesday morning accident scene at Staples High School, where a Jeep — whose driver presumably was trying to park — crashed into the side of the building, breached a glass wall and scattered equipment in a kitchen used for culinary instruction.
The woman driving the Jeep reportedly was not injured, but the collision’s impact caused a gas leak.
The school was evacuated as a safety precaution after the 7:50 a.m. incident.
Firefighters, police officers and a gas company repair crew all were dispatched to the scene, and “the gas was quickly shut off and multiple fans were used to ventilate the gas from the building,” according to a report on the incident by Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Gootman.
About an hour later, after the incident no longer posed a threat to safety, students and staff were able to return to the building. No injuries were reported.
A day earlier, Staples was closed for a “snow day” in the midst of a winter storm, and vestiges of the snowfall plowed to the edge of the parking lot were evident Wednesday morning.
But a police spokesman said Wednesday afternoon there was no evidence that snow or ice may have contributed to the accident.
The extent of damage to the kitchen was not immediately known, or how it might affect any classes. School officials did not respond to inquiries Wednesday afternoon.
Recent Comments