Traffic accident damages the Salvation Army chapel in Coffeyville, Kansas

Monday, November 21st 2005, 10:37 am

By: News On 6

A tractor trailer plowed into the Salvation Army chapel in Coffeyville, Kansas over the weekend. No one was hurt, but the chapel was destroyed. Now, the Salvation Army has a big job ahead of them, cleaning up after this accident while gearing up for their busiest time of the year.

News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says the accident happened on Saturday, less than 45 minutes after the Coffeyville Salvation Army had their big citywide toy drive.

The toys they collected made it through the accident without a scratch. The same can't be said for the chapel. The truck barreled through the stone and cinder block wall. Chunks of concrete punched holes in adjacent walls and nearly everything in the truck's path was destroyed.

Captain Leanna Tuttle was the only person in the building when it happened. She says others escaped injury by just a matter of minutes. "If it had happened 45 minutes earlier, all the bikes that were out there would've been hit and someone could've been seriously injured."

Despite the loss, the Salvation Army in Coffeyville still plans to continue its Christmas projects. If you'd like to help, you can call 620-251-2686.