A vehicle struck the side of the CIBC bank building in Castlegar around 10:30 Monday morning.
The Castlegar Fire Department and RCMP were quickly on the scene.
The vehicle and building were stabilized with jacks and blocks before the female driver was assisted out. She was in stable condition and was able to walk to the waiting ambulance for assessment.
Fire Chief Sam Lattanzio recommended that the vehicle stays in place until a structural assessment could be completed. It was removed later Monday afternoon.
“The building had a lot of damage to it and we are so lucky that there was nobody in the coffee/lunch room — which is exactly where the car smashed through the wall,” explained Lattanzio.
He also gave high praise to the way that the bank employees handled the situation, “It was a pretty scary experience for them — but they did well.”
The Castlegar RCMP said charges were laid in connection with the incident.
According to an RCMP press release, “It appears that the driver was attempting to park and hit the gas instead of the brake, pushing over the barrier and into the lunchroom area of the bank. The driver, a 67-year-old from Castlegar, is facing charges under the Motor Vehicle Act.”
