A Fredericton enterprise proprietor is choosing up the items after a truck crashed into his downtown store over the lengthy weekend. Now he’s turning to the neighborhood for assist.
The crash occurred round 10 p.m. on Sunday, when a big truck collided with the entrance of Chase Benjamin Antiques. Nobody was contained in the store on the time, and each the driving force and residential tenants within the constructing behind the shop have been unhurt.
Nevertheless, the constructing suffered in depth harm from the impression, together with to the entrance wall and one of many facet partitions which caved in and broke throughout the crash.
“This case might have been a lot, a lot worse than it was, and I’m so grateful that everybody is OK,” mentioned proprietor Chase Plourde in a public assertion.
The harm has compelled the store to shut indefinitely, with the storefront now boarded up whereas discussions with police and landlords proceed. 4 different tenants are briefly displaced whereas officers assess the structural integrity of the constructing.
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One tenant, Ralph MacFarlane, says he was in his unit on the time of the crash.
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“I’m watching TV and impulsively it kicked off the stand and kicked me off onto the ground. After which I obtained up and heard the horn beeping and noticed the truck downstairs,” MacFarlane recalled.
“My toilet wall kicked out in in direction of my unit, so I might see down by way of my toilet to the bottom flooring.”
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The crash additionally destroyed a few of the antiques within the retailer, together with gadgets Plourde was promoting on behalf of consignors.
“A number of cabinets of issues, my cupboards, consigners’ gadgets that I used to be promoting for different folks, so I’ve to pay that cash again,” he mentioned.
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On Tuesday, Plourde’s accomplice and mates launched a GoFundMe marketing campaign to assist cowl the prices of damages, misplaced gross sales, a brand new storage unit and potential relocation bills.
“I’m taking this time to consider the right way to transfer ahead in addition to increase cash to assist the enterprise get working once more, to cowl the prices of damages, and the gadgets that have been on consignment on the store,” Plourde mentioned within the GoFundMe.
Regardless of the chaos, the response from the neighborhood has been a brilliant spot for Plourde.
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Many neighborhood members have flooded the shop proprietor with messages of assist and encouragement.
Fredericton Police say the incident continues to be beneath investigation. The whole price of the harm is presently unknown.
“I don’t need this to be the top of the store … perhaps it may be a brand new starting?” mentioned Plourde.
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