Library foots the bill after motorist crashes on property

An uninsured motorist damaged a fence, memorial and planter wall at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library on the night of June 16. Repairs to the library’s property will likely come from the library’s budget, said Shannon Midyett, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library director.

“We will be acting immediately to make all necessary repairs,” she said. “The library has been well maintained on this site for well over 80 years and we intend to be sure we keep it that way moving forward.”

The library staff arrived at work June 17 to find the property damage which “happened overnight,” Midyett said. “We weren’t in the library at the time that it happened. We found the property damage to the fence and to the memorial when we reported to work.”

Also damaged were a pole belonging to Municipal Utilities and a stop sign.

According to the Poplar Bluff Police report, the crash occurred as a vehicle was traveling southbound on Second Street when it lost control and went off the right side of the roadway, striking a stop sign, utility pole, memorial stone and fence before coming to rest. The driver was reportedly uninjured.

According the police report, the driver fled the scene but was located and admitted to driving the vehicle. The alleged driver of the 2009 gray Chevrolet Impala was Lamar Walker of the 100 block of Begley Street. According to the police report, the vehicle owner is Shahera Holloway, also of the 100 block of Begley Street.

It was Midyett’s her impression the driver had swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, but since no staff witnessed it she said she could not be certain.

Poplar Bluff Street Superintendent Jerry Lawson said the stop sign at the corner of Elm and Second streets was scheduled to be replaced on Monday, June 26. He also stated since allegedly the driver and as well as the owner of the vehicle are uninsured, the city will be out the expense of $175-$200 to replace the sign.

The library is making arrangements to repair the memorial, fence and planter wall. The library’s insurance deductible is probably more than what it will cost to do the repairs, according to Midyett.

The memorial was relocated in 2003 from Second and Oak Streets in memory of Dr. H. M. Henrickson.

“We’ve sent it to Poplar Bluff Monument Works,” Midyett said. “It wasn’t terribly damaged and Poplar Bluff Monument is trying to clean it up.”

Midyett explained the library staff has reached out to Fickert Fence Company repair the fence.

“Unfortunately, we had more damage to the fence probably a month to two months earlier, when a dog chased a deer across the parking lot. The deer rammed headfirst into the fence and caused a big bow of a section. Then ran down the length of the fence and burst through it where it connects near the staff door.”

The block wall around a historic poplar tree on the property was new and Midyett said, “We’ve contacted Birdsong Masonry for repairs.”

While Midyett said she doesn’t know how long the tree has been on that corner, she believes it was here “before the library was here. We’ll have to repair the brick block wall that was damaged by the car.”

The damage, while widespread, likely falls under the library’s large deductible on its property insurance. Like the city, Midyett said the repairs will probably be paid for out of pocket.

“We were obviously going to pursue through the insurance reimbursement for the repairs, but that’s not going to be an avenue for us, unfortunately,” said Midyett.