Vehicle crashes into Lewiston Laundry Center on Monday morning

LEWISTON — Rescue workers responded Monday morning to the Lewiston Laundry Center, after a vehicle crashed through the building, following a collision at a nearby intersection.

Capt. Paul Fournier of the Lewiston Fire Department said that one person was in the building when the vehicle crashed. The person was not near the window and did not sustain injuries, he said.

Rescue workers responded to a crash early Monday morning after a vehicle drove into the Lewiston Laundry Center at the corner of Sabattus and Russell streets. Submitted photo

Police received the call at 5:54 a.m., Sgt. Michael Whalen of the Lewiston Police Department said. Neither of the two drivers involved in the accident were seriously injured.

Before crashing into the laundromat, a red 2012 Honda CRV collided with a white GMC truck at the intersection of Sabattus and Russell streets. The truck was driving from Russell Street, to Farwell Street and the Honda was traveling on Sabattus Street, toward Sabattus. Both drivers say they had the green light, Whalen said.

Whalen said he did not know the identity of the driver who crashed into the building.

After the collision, the Honda must have spun toward the laundromat, he said. Instead of hitting the brakes, the woman driving hit the gas, launching the car over the curb and into Lewiston Laundry Center, Whalen said.

Rob Bosquet lives next to the laundromat on the Sabattus Street side. He said his wife was exercising early this morning in their home when she heard a loud crash. At first, they thought the laundromat may have exploded, before seeing the crash.

He estimates the vehicle was removed from the building at about 8 a.m.

Owner Todd Hedrich of Presque Isle said this is the second time in two months his Lewiston laundromat has been damaged by a vehicle. He owns 12 laundromats throughout the state.

A building inspector assessed the damage Monday and, at his recommendation, Hedrich is installing a beam to hold up the windows. The wall is not load bearing, and the inspector found no other concerns with the structure, Hedrich said.

The business is fully insured. However Hedrich is unsure how much it will cost, or how long it will take to repair the wall. Carpenters boarded up the window Monday, and Hedrich said the business would reopen at 5 p.m.