Arnold City Hall employees got a jolt Feb. 13, when a car hit the building.
At about 11:20 a.m., a 45-year-old Irondale woman driving a 2009 Pontiac G8 struck City Hall, 2101 Jeffco Blvd., leaving a hole in a wall just left of the main entrance, Arnold Police reported.
City Administrator Bryan Richison said no one was in the building’s lobby when the car struck the wall and no one was injured. No one in the car was injured either, Arnold Police reported.
The woman had three children, ages 2, 4 and 10, in the car. She was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of a narcotic, and the children were turned over to a family member, police reported.
The woman allegedly told authorities she was headed to the Police Department to file a report about an incident in Fenton and when she pulled into a parking spot, the car accelerated for an unknown reason and struck the building, the report said.
Richison said the hole is about 3 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet wide. It currently is covered by plywood held in with caulking. He said the city is seeking bids to repair the damage, which will cost an estimated $25,000 to $30,000.
He said it was shocking when the woman struck the building.
“There was a loud boom and the building shook,” Richison said. “I didn’t know what happened, and somebody told me a car hit the building. I didn’t believe them at first, but I looked out the window and sure enough there was a car down there.”
The woman was transported to SSM Mercy South Hospital in south St. Louis County for a blood test, and pending lab results, Arnold Police will seek charges against her for driving while under the influence of drugs and endangering the welfare of a child through the Arnold Municipal Court, Lt. Clinton Wooldridge said.
Richison said City Hall remained open throughout the incident.
“We were able to clean it up quickly,” Richison said. “People were able to access City Hall during the incident to conduct business.”