On Friday July 24, 2015, around 9:20pm, Chestermere RCMP were called to the Chestermere CIBC with reports that a vehicle had smashed into the building. When officers arrived, it was in fact determined that a 2013 grey Chevrolet Malibu had been driven into the bank, smashing some front glass windows.
The 65 year old male driver from Strathmore, remained on scene and was assisted out of his car as he was trapped for a short period of time. The driver was the lone occupant of the vehicle and sustained no injuries as a result of this collision. His name has not been released.
The driver told officers that he accidentally stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake and drove into the glass windows. Thankfully, the bank, located along 200 Marina Drive, was closed at the time with no employees inside. The bank remained secure as the two panes of smashed glass were for the lobby area where the ATM is located. The same lobby doors remain unlocked for afterhours public access. Staff of the CIBC were alerted through alarms and by the Chestermere RCMP and no other members of the public were injured. Chestermere RCMP are still investigating this collision and charges may be pending.
This isn’t the first time though that a vehicle has smashed into a building here in our city. In August 2009, an elderly man drove his pick up through the glass windows at the Shoppers Drug Mart in Chestermere, seriously injuring, then resident of Chestermere, Jennifer Conrad and her young daughter Sara. The driver reported at the time that he too mistook the gas for the brake and ended up plowing through the glass striking the mother and daughter.
In September 2007, a Ford Explorer drove through the brick wall of Jessica’s Restaurant seriously injuring the owner who had been working in the kitchen at the time of the crash. The Explorer ended up right through the wall and sitting inside the restaurant. In this instance, the driver was charged with impaired driving causing bodily harm.
