POTTSVILLE, Pa. — A marker of Schuylkill County's history was broken to pieces. Pottsville Police said a black SUV plowed into the bicentennial monument outside the county courthouse around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
The vehicle crumpled when it hit the back wall. Part of the front bumper was left laying on the brick barrier around the monument.
Tim Bressler drove by Tuesday afternoon and noticed the damage.
"I just saw the bricks were busted, and I thought, 'wow, somebody had to hit that,'" Bressler said. "How did they hit that?"
Pottsville Police said the vehicle was traveling eastbound on Laurel Boulevard, crossed into the opposite lane, and hopped the curb, narrowly missing a tree and a parked car.
It then continued on through the entryway to the bicentennial monument, taking out a section of brick wall before hitting the back of the monument on the other side.
"That's what I can't understand, how could you go and hit it?" said William Kline of Pottsville. "I mean, come on. You can see it. It's as big as a house."
Police say a 51-year-old Pottsville man was behind the wheel. He and a 48-year-old female passenger were taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.
Police are still trying to figure out how the driver lost control.
The wreck comes more than a month after a crash several blocks away in Garfield Square, when a vehicle collided with the city's Christmas tree.
Kline said he sees distracted driving daily.
"The way they speed in this town like if it tells you 25-miles-per-hour, they're going 45-miles-per-hour," he said. "Come on, you got your license, use your head. Then these people that text and don't even watch. They're not looking at driving, they're looking at text."
The monument on Laurel Boulevard is in need of repairs. Portions of the brick barrier are spread across the floor of the monument, and there's a visible indent in the section of the wall underneath the headstone.
"They'll probably have to redo it back up again," Kline said.
"I think that people better start paying attention to the way they're driving and stuff and take care of the stuff that we have around here," Bressler added. "This is a historical town."
Pottsville Police are still investigating the crash.
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