Vehicle repeatedly strikes Wawanesa building

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This article was published 05/06/2023 (1056 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An SUV drove into the Wawanesa Insurance building in the small western Manitoba village bearing the company’s name Friday afternoon, leaving a gaping hole in its facade.

On Monday, RCMP said the accused driver had previously threatened the business.

Souris RCMP were called to the building on the corner of Wawanesa’s Main and 4th streets at about 4:15 p.m. June 2, where they found a large crowd gathered next to a “large hole” in the front of the structure, Mounties said.

Officers determined the vehicle, allegedly driven by a 42-year-old woman, crashed into the building, then reversed and accelerated into the building again, before reversing out once more.

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Co. spokesman Brad Hartle confirmed the building struck was its office in the village.

“No employee was hurt in the incident, and we continue to co-operate with police,” Hartle said in an email Monday. “We thank the many members of the community who have expressed their concern for the well-being of our employees.”

RCMP said, after the collisions, the driver got out of the vehicle and was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and discharged.

Multiple people were inside the building at the time, but none were hurt, police said.

RCMP said they’ve determined the accused driver had threatened the business prior to the crash, but did not reveal what those threats entailed. Charges are pending, according to Mounties.

Wawanesa is some 190 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

— Staff