Cleanup continues at the Bradford Post Office after a woman drove her vehicle through the front window this morning.
Police say that 70 year old Sheila Kay Potter of Bradford was approaching the Post Office to mail a package shortly before 8 this morning when she says her car lunged forward, through the front windows and into the customer service lobby.
Potter told Police that her intention was to park in front of the building, enter the lobby, and mail a package, and thought that her car was in park at the time, that it was a new vehicle that had not had any mechanical problems, and was not really sure what had happened.
The lobby was not open to the public when the incident occurred, and a lone Post Office employee, 54 year old Edward McElwee of Bradford, was at the main counter when the car entered the lobby. McElwee was able to get out of the way before the car struck the counter, and helped Potter out of her vehicle. Neither person suffered injuries in the incident.
Some of the building’s metal structure needed to be cut away to allow the vehicle to be safely removed from the front of the building. The building’s hot water heating system was damaged in the crash, but a plumber called to the scene managed to shut the system down before extensive water damage could be done.
A police report obtained by WESB News says that Potter will not be charged in the accident, since there was no malicious intent and the incident happened on private property. The report says that instead that Potter will be indicated as the at fault party in a driver error accident, making her liable for civil damages.
Post Office officials tell WESB News that while that the office’s lobby and Post Office Box area will be closed until further notice, they want to assure customers that regular mail delivery will be unaffected, as will pickup from blue boxes.