A motorist apparently over-corrected and crashed into the Dairy Queen restaurant at 1005 E. Green Bay St. on Nov. 22. It was the latest in a string of vehicles crashing into buildings in the city of Shawano.
Just four days earlier, on Nov. 18, a car crashed into a house at 206 S. Lincoln St., knocking it nearly 5 inches off its foundation.
And a few days before that, a driver collided with a pylon at the doors of the Walgreen’s store on East Green Bay Street.
Ryan Engel owns the Lincoln Street house, which was listed for sale at the time of the accident. No one was living in the home.
About 5:53 a.m. that day, he received a call from the police department; when he arrived on the scene, fire personnel requested access to the house due to a gas leak caused by the impact. We Energies staff then arrived to replace the damaged gas meter.
According to Engel, both occupants of the vehicle fled the scene, but the 20-year-old female driver was later arrested.
“The structural assessment showed significant impact to the front of the home,” Engel said. “The front wall was shifted approximately 4 3/4 inches, causing multiple interior walls to move out of alignment. Several door frames no longer align, and there is cracking on both sidewalls and portions of the second story. The foundation at the impact point is compromised.”
On Nov. 26, he met with two experienced experts — one from a contracting company out of Appleton and another from a basement and foundation repair company based near Fremont.
After walking through the home and reviewing the visible damage, both professionals reached the same conclusion: The structural damage is more extensive than initially believed, according to Engel.
“They explained that the house has shifted beyond what’s currently visible, and any attempt to move the structure again would likely cause additional damage,” he said. “They also strongly recommend that a structural engineer evaluate the property before any further steps are taken.”
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
