How much will this Eastborough sign cost to repair? More than you might think
Officials in the city of Eastborough say it will cost almost $9,000 to replace the city’s entrance sign near Towne East Mall Drive after it was struck by a pickup driver last weekend.
It happened around 9:35 p.m. Feb. 1, Eastborough Police Chief James Welch said. The driver of a Chevy pickup truck was going westbound on Douglas onto Huntington when he lost control of the vehicle after hitting a patch of ice. The truck slammed into the right side of the 28-foot-wide concrete wall.
Welch said the driver did not remember exactly how the crash happened. He was cited for driving too fast for conditions and inattentive driving.
Since the Eastborough city signs were installed in 2002, Welch said, the wall at Douglas and Huntington has been hit five times.
“People are just used to seeing it (the sign),” Welch said. “It’s just part of your everyday drive, and you don’t pay attention.”
Previous accidents have proven to be fatal, The Eagle’s car crash archives show. In 2007, a 41-year-old motorcyclist died after hitting the wall near the Eastborough entrance.
Repair costs will include damage to the wall itself, electrical components and a sprinkler system that runs along the front and back of the concrete structure. While some materials can be reused, others will need to be replaced, Welch said.
The last time the wall was hit, Welch said, repairs cost upwards of $11,000.
The pickup driver was checked by emergency medical services and first responders at the scene, but was uninjured and refused medical treatment. Welch said officers gave him a ride home.
“It’s sad that the gentleman lost control of his truck and totaled his truck, and it’s sad that the wall was hit,” Welch said. “But luckily, nobody was injured and it was just all property damage.”
