The drive-thru at MRV Banks’ branch at 1319 N. Truman Blvd. in Festus is open today, Nov. 12, after a pickup truck crashed through the bank’s front windows Monday evening, Nov. 10.
Festus Police Chief Doug Wendel said a 42-year-old Crystal City man crashed a pickup truck into the building at 8:25 p.m. Monday.
“He was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated,” Wendel said. “We won’t release his name until charges are filed.”
As of this morning, no charges have been filed.
Dan Abts, MRV’s market president, said Bill Seek, the bank’s business development manager and vice president, immediately went to the scene and spent the night making sure the bank was secure.
Abts said no one was in the bank at the time of the crash. Abts’ desk and Seek’s desks were destroyed, and he said they both would have been seriously injured if the crash had happened during business hours.
He said the bank was closed Tuesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day, but there was plenty of work being done. He said contractors came out Tuesday morning and boarded up the bank’s windows, and several branch employees came in to haul off damaged equipment.
Despite the damage, the bank’s money and customers’ personal information are secure, he said.
Abts said he was pleased with how executive management and employees came together to “get stuff done,” which is one of the bank’s core values.
“We are open today,” he said. “I find that amazing.”
Abts said the lobby is closed today while cleaning crews continue to clean, but the drive-thru is open. He said the lobby will open Thursday, Nov. 13.
Abts said dealing with the insurance companies will take a few weeks.
“It will be a little while before the bank looks as pretty as it did,” he said.
Abts said there may be some discussion of whether to use the opportunity to expand the bank branch and make it bigger.
“The bank is growing,” he said.