Driver Escapes Injury in Dramatic Canopy Collapse
Truck Reportedly Made Contact With Structure Before Fall
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Last updated 9/13/2023 at 12:48pm
Robert Connors
An aging canopy that had withstood recent gusting winds became a dramatic casualty after what witnesses described as a "bump" from a tractor-trailer rig that was moving in front of the vacant building.
The dramatic, and very loud, collapse of a large gas station canopy at Scenic Highway and Polk Avenue Tuesday afternoon brought a quick response from emergency services, but happily no one required medical attention.
Robert Connors
Fears that someone may have been crushed under the falling structure, estimated to weigh more than two tons, brought a quick response from the Lake Wales Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue. Happily no one was injured.
The 3:00 pm collapse was heard by area residents, who said it made a "very loud boom" that brought them out to see what had happened. It was apparent, they said, that a tractor trailer that was driving past the structure had clipped it and destabilized it.
The canopy had served to shelter gasoline pumps in front of a long-vacant service station that has been the target of code enforcement action in the past two years. LakeWalesNews.net had previously published stories citing the dangerous condition of the unsightly property.
The property recently changed hands and the new owner plans to rehab the building. It was unclear if they had plans for the canopy structure.
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