Last Updated: Thursday, October 2, 2008 9:49 AM CDT
‘No one knew it even hit the school’
Vehicle strikes school building after driver blacks out; students safe
By Giles Morris - Daily News Staff
A bizarre traffic accident Wednesday morning could have had serious consequences for students at Zion Evangelical Lutheran School but wound up being miraculously benign.
At approximately 7:40 a.m. Wednesday a motorist lost control of his car, hopped a curb, and collided with the back corner of the Zion building on North Brown Street.
According to Rhinelander Police Chief Mike Steffes, the motorist, 43-year-old Vincent Zitha, suffered from a blackout. Zitha remembered being at Hodag Park earlier in the day, but he could not remember the events preceding the accident. After leaving the roadway, Zitha’s car traveled across a wide swath of the school’s lawn before being stopped by the corner of the building.
Zion School Principal Steven Brich said the impact with the school building was gentle.
“There is very little damage to the school,” said Brich. “You wouldn’t even know it was there except for some scratches on the brick and the tire marks on the lawn.”
Brich said the accident occurred at a segment of the building that is rarely used by the students and the impact was barely noticed inside the building.
“No one knew it even hit the school except when we saw the lights from the police cars and fire engines through the windows,” Brich said. “It was just curiosity that drew us and not alarm.”
Brich said he was thankful that the driver did not appear to be seriously injured in the crash.
Zitha was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital following the accident where he was treated and released without serious injury.
Steffes said Zitha would be cited for operating after revocation.
The accident occurred directly across the street from the Rhinelander Fire Dept. and Rhinelander Police Dept. offices at the corner of Brown and Frederick Streets.
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