A Fredericton business owner is picking up the pieces after a truck crashed into his downtown shop over the long weekend. Now he’s turning to the community for help.
The crash happened around 10 p.m. on Sunday, when a large truck collided with the front of Chase Benjamin Antiques. No one was inside the shop at the time, and both the driver and residential tenants in the building behind the store were unharmed.
However, the building suffered extensive damage from the impact, including to the front wall and one of the side walls which caved in and broke during the crash.
“This situation could have been much, much worse than it was, and I am so thankful that everyone is OK,” said owner Chase Plourde in a public statement.
The damage has forced the shop to close indefinitely, with the storefront now boarded up while discussions with police and landlords continue. Four other tenants are temporarily displaced while officials assess the structural integrity of the building.
One tenant, Ralph MacFarlane, says he was in his unit at the time of the crash.
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“I’m watching TV and all of a sudden it kicked off the stand and kicked me off onto the floor. And then I got up and heard the horn beeping and saw the truck downstairs,” MacFarlane recalled.
“My bathroom wall kicked out in towards my unit, so I could see down through my bathroom to the ground floor.”
The crash also destroyed some of the antiques in the store, including items Plourde was selling on behalf of consignors.
“Several shelves of things, my cabinets, consigners’ items that I was selling for other people, so I have to pay that money back,” he said.
On Tuesday, Plourde’s partner and friends launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of damages, lost sales, a new storage unit and potential relocation expenses.
“I am taking this time to think about how to move forward as well as raise money to help the business get running again, to cover the costs of damages, and the items that were on consignment at the shop,” Plourde said in the GoFundMe.
Despite the chaos, the response from the community has been a bright spot for Plourde.
Many community members have flooded the store owner with messages of support and encouragement.
Fredericton Police say the incident is still under investigation. The total cost of the damage is currently unknown.
“I don’t want this to be the end of the shop … maybe it can be a new beginning?” said Plourde.
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