La Pine driver cited after he falls asleep, car plows into temporary library building; no injuries reported
(Update: Sheriff's office cites driver)
La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 52-year-old La Pine man was not injured but was cited after he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car well into the temporary home of the La Pine Library Wednesday morning, authorities said.
The temporary La Pine Library in the John C. Johnson building at 16405-B 1st Street in La Pine closed indefinitely Wednesday morning after the crash, causing extensive damage to the building owned by the La Pine Parks and Rec District but no serious injuries, though shaking many of the adults and children inside.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and La Pine Rural Fire District personnel responded to the scene.
Also sharing the building is the La Pine Head Start classes operated by NeighborImpact. A NeighborImpact representative said staff evacuated the children and contacted families are the crash occurred.
Sheriff's Sergeant Jason Wall said they determined the driver was not under the influence of intoxicants, but "advisesd he must have fallen asleep and was not able to negotiate the roadway, crashing into the building."
The driver was cited for careless driving and driving with a suspended license.
“We are thankful that no one was injured,” said library Communications and Development Manager Chantal Strobel. “The building housed our temporary library space while the existing La Pine Library undergoes an extensive remodel. This means we are without a temporary location in La Pine for the foreseeable future, though the newly remodeled library is on track to reopen in October.”
The building in which the temporary library is housed is owned by the La Pine Park and Recreation District, and a portion of it is leased by Deschutes Public Library.
A structural assessment of the building needs to happen before library staff can enter it again. Once staff can access the building, existing holds that were on the shelves will be transferred to the Sunriver Library for pick up.
Strobel says library staff are working to contact customers by phone if they have a hold waiting at the temporary La Pine Library. As other holds become available for pick up, they too will be transferred to the Sunriver Library, which is 14 miles to the north.
The Library asks that La Pine customers either keep their checked-out library items or return them to another library location when it is convenient for them to do so. La Pine customers who have items checked out will not incur late fees during this time.
