Surveillance Video Shows Driver Crashing Into Tulsa's Bartlett Square Fountain

Emory Bryan, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A City of Tulsa engineer says damage to the fountain in Bartlett Square is severe and could require replacement of everything but the plumbing.

A driver ran his pickup into the fountain early Sunday with enough force to vault over the backside of the fountain and land just outside the intersection.

03/27/2011 Related Story: Driver Ramps Pickup Over Tulsa's Bartlett Square Fountain

It's the most severe damage yet to the Bartlett Square Fountain.  The fountain is just outside Shema's bakery.

"Either they don't know it's there, or they just plain didn't see it," Shema Jones said.

Monday afternoon, City of Tulsa engineer Chris Cox was out taking photos of the damage so he can start getting an estimate on the repairs. Judging from past accidents, the damage is likely well over $100,000 dollars.

"It may be to the point, no knowing what the estimate is, that we have to make a decision about what we want to do with it," Cox said. "I think everybody wants a fountain, but we have to find a way to protect it from accidents that happen in the early hours of the morning."

Though the plumbing in the fountain was still working after the accident, the concrete is damaged on all sides, from several hits taken in the last year.

In 2009, cars caused $55,000 in damage. In 2010, the fountain had $85,000 in damage.

5/25/2010 Related Story: Driver's Insurance To Pay For Bartlett Square Fountain Repair In Tulsa

The new damage might have finished it off.

"The previous accidents were not as damaging the fountain as this one and it tells me either the driver was going very fast or he had a very big vehicle," Cox said.

The damage and debris didn't stop the daily performances at Bartlett Square. The debris will be picked up, but repairs will take much longer as the City decides whether to rebuild it as it was and how to protect it from more damage.