Minivan crashes into medical office bld.

Van Wert independent news

An elderly driver suffered minor injuries after he drove a minivan through the entrance of a medical office building at 1180 Professional Drive at approximately 9:30 a.m. Friday and ended up in the lobby of the facility.

The vehicle damaged the front door of the building, which houses the offices of Van Wert Family Physicians, Van Wert County Hospital’s Pediatric Physical Rehabilitation Clinic, and the Orthopaedic Institute of Ohio.

Van Wert Fire Chief Jon Jones said the driver experience minor injuries, but noted that more serious injuries would have occurred if there had been patients in a front waiting room when the van drove into the building.

Most of the damage occurred in the lobby and waiting room of the Pediatric Rehab Clinic, which fronted the parking lot. In addition, braces were installed in the entranceway to minimize chances of structural collapse.

According to the Van Wert Police Department, the man, who was not identified, was returning to the office building to pick up a family member when he failed to stop the minivan in the parking lot and accelerated into the brick building, ending up entirely in the front lobby.