The North Royalton Middle School sustained some damage when a driver ran into the building on Wednesday, November 28. Luckily, no severe injuries were reported.
At about 7:20 a.m., a parent, who was dropping a student off for school, went over the curb, first striking a bench, then traveled farther to crash into the building. The air bags in the vehicle were deployed during the crash. The parent, a Middle School student and a High School student were in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Police were dispatched to the scene within ten minutes of its occurrence.
The vehicle penetrated a student drop-off portion of the building where the Assistant Principal’s office is located. Luckily, no one was in the office at the time of the crash. The occupants of the car were taken to UH Parma Medical Center for observation, although there were no severe injuries reported.
The building sustained damage, including to a window and masonry. Assistant Superintendent Jim Presot said. He said that the inside is going to need to be fixed and replaced. The metal bench was damaged and a bush needs to be replaced. The estimated damage of the building is yet to be determined, said Presot. He said that there has been a preliminary adjuster review and the insurance companies from both the district and the driver have sent out their own adjusters. At this point, the district is trying to determine if there has been any structural damage. A structural engineer is currently investigating. “Right now, we have it buttoned up and operational,” said Presot. He said that the same contractor who recently did the masonry and tuck pointing on the Middle School will be giving the district an estimate. The insurance company indicated that as long as the quote falls within the estimate of the insurance company, they can go ahead. “If they all come in line, they can get it repaired as soon as possible,” said Presot.
The matter is still under investigation. The results from the toxicology samples that were taken to the lab have not been received, according to Detective Dave Loeding. When they receive the samples, charges are expected to be made, he said.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer