Vehicle Crashes Into Colby Plaza Building; One Person Transported

A vehicle crashed completely into the front and came to rest inside of the Colby Plaza Building Tuesday afternoon, sending one person to the hospital and causing significant damage to the building.

Emergency crews were called to the Colby Plaza Building, located at 990 S. Range Avenue, around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7.

A witness who spoke with NWKS Radio said they never actually saw the vehicle on Range Avenue (U.S. Highway 25). Instead, they first noticed it several hundred yards south of the Colby Plaza traveling through the grass in front of the building. The witness described the vehicle as bouncing across the uneven ground at what appeared to be an accelerated speed, narrowly missing the large Colby Plaza sign before striking the curbs at the plaza's south entrance. The vehicle then quickly swerved left and crashed through the large front glass windows of the building.

The vehicle came to rest completely inside the building after smashing through the large front windows of one of the plaza's front office spaces. The office was unoccupied at the time of the crash.

Because of the way the vehicle became lodged inside the building, emergency personnel were unable to immediately remove the occupant. The front of the vehicle came to rest just inches from an interior wall, while the driver's side was pinned tightly against another wall.

Personnel from the Colby Police Department, Thomas County Sheriff's Office, Colby Fire Department, and Thomas County EMS worked together to safely rescue the occupant. Firefighters used the Colby Fire Department rescue pickup to carefully pull the vehicle backward from the building, allowing EMS crews access to remove the individual.

One person was transported by Thomas County EMS for medical treatment. No other injuries were reported.

S&M Towing quickly removed the damaged vehicle from the scene.

NWKS Radio first reported the crash on its Facebook page, NWKS Radio, at approximately 5:20 p.m., shortly after the accident occurred.

The cause of the crash has not yet been released, and the extent of the driver's injuries is unknown.