FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP -- An early morning car crash into a well-known skating rink put the weekend business in jeopardy.
A car crashed into a skating rink that was gearing up for the weekend crowd just outside of Lehighton.
The owners of Larose's Roller Skating Rink near Lehighton tell Newswatch 16 they heard a loud noise but never expected to see a car into the building.
Video from a surveillance camera at Larose's shows a car veering off Route 209 just before crashing into the roller rink in Franklin Township.
Pictures from Larose's Facebook page show the aftermath with a red car inside the building.
Owners Roy and Brenda Artz say nothing like this has happened to them before.
"I looked out the window and I saw fire engines were there and I thought the heater was on fire. Then I saw the car," Roy Artz said.
Owners say a car swerved off the road, barely missing a mailbox, then crashing into the utility room and heater in the building, forcing Larose's Skating Rink to close.
A cinderblock wall is standing. Three-quarters of it is gone but most likely it's going to be torn down and rebuilt.
The roller skating rink is only open on weekends. Brenda and Roy say Larose's closed last weekend because of winter weather and now this.
"This is my prime season but it will work out, I am not worried," Brenda said.
Robin Heiserman used to visit the skating rink frequently while growing up.
"It is upsetting because there's not a lot to do around here for kids and it's an institution, as far as I am concerned," Heiserman said.
An inspector has given Larose's the green light to reopen this weekend so the place will be open as scheduled Friday and Saturday night.
There's no word from police about what led to the crash, the condition of the driver, or whether charges will be filed.