Mishap sends car into office building – Dalles Chronicle

A Ford Fusion driven by Shirley Mattson of The Dalles came out of a parking lot across from the Stratton Agency Insurance Services office in the 200 block of East Fourth Street and plowed into the insurance companys office building. Mattson said the car just took off. Photo by Jesse Burkhardt.

The Dalles Northwest Cherry Festival got off to an unusually impactful start on Friday with an incident that wasnt part of the scheduled activities.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., a black sedan came roaring out of a parking lot across from the Stratton Agency, an insurance company at 212 E. Fourth Street. The car jumped the curb and rammed into the office building with such force that bricks and cinder blocks were pushed several feet into the interior.

Glass, sheetrock, bricks and other debris was sent flying inside and the entire building shuddered, according to an employee in the office at the time.

I was sitting in my office with a customer and Boom! said Breanna Wimber, a Stratton Agency insurance agent. What the heck happened?! It was extremely scary. It was so loud and it shook the whole building. I didnt hear any screeching or anything, just Boom.

The car was driven by 83-year-old Shirley Mattson, a resident of The Dalles, who was transported by ambulance to Mid-Columbia Medical Center.

Mattson said her car, a 2009 Ford Fusion, just took off on her as she left the U.S Bank drive-thru.

I came through and the car just started speeding. The car would not stop. Ive never had that happen in all my years driving, she said. It was the fault of the car. Im going to have that car looked over very thoroughly.

Mattson suffered no broken bones, and said she hoped to be out of the hospital within a day or two.

She added that she was very grateful no one in the building was injured.

And Im so glad there were no cars or pedestrians, she said.

A desk near the front of the Stratton Agency office was knocked askew in the wreckage. The desk normally would have been occupied by Eileen Teas, and her desk and chair were mangled in the mishap. In a stroke of fortune, however, Teas was not there that day.

When Wimber dashed out of her office, the first thing she realized was that Teas normally would have been at the twisted desk.

Eileen would have been here today, but she has been off the last two days, Wimber said.

Her chair is mangled and facing the opposite way. Her briefcase was thrown about 15 feet toward the back.

According to Wimber, Mattson was screaming and had a bloody nose. Wimber went to her and tried to calm her down.

She said the car wouldnt stop, Wimber recalled.

Another Stratton agent, Liz Narciso, was on her way to the Fourth Street office when the accident happened.

I was sitting at Eileens desk yesterday, and I was going to be there today, Narcisco said. I had some work I was going to finish, and then I was going to come over to the office, but I didnt get around to it because I got a couple phone calls. Im feeling grateful I wasnt there.

The buildings owner, John Geiger, said he figured it would take about two months to repair the building, and the repair bill will be costly.

Id say $50,000-$60,000 on the low side, Geiger said.

A crew from Dave Adams Construction boarded up the building and made it safe and secure until full repairs can have made.

Wimber pointed out that the business was scheduled to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 3 to commemorate the opening of their new office.

It looks like well have to call the Chamber of Commerce and reschedule, Wimber said.

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Mishap sends car into office building - Dalles Chronicle