PORT HASTINGS: At approximately 11:09 a.m. on August 12, a vehicle crashed into the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in Port Hastings.
“A car drove into the side of the building, near the men’s washroom,” communications advisor for Tourism Nova Scotia Zandra Alexander told The Reporter. “All staff and visitors were safely evacuated. Emergency services, including RCMP and paramedics, attended the scene.”
Having only suffered minor damage to the building, the Port Hastings VIC has now since re-opened to provide their highly-utilized services to help guide people on their journey across Cape Breton Island, except for access to the public washrooms.
“The wall and hallway near the men’s washroom sustained damage as a result of the accident,” she said, which left a car-width of a hole in the building’s side. “There was also damage to the electrical wiring in the ceiling near the accident site – the building was inspected for structural damage, and none was found.”
The hallway with the washrooms has been temporarily sealed off while repair work is underway and Alexander said she expects the washrooms will re-open early this week.
“In the interim, visitors are being directed to the museum across the street for washroom access,” Alexander said. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our staff and visitors.”
The driver who was from Nova Scotia was fine, but for precautionary measures, a passenger inside the vehicle was taken to the hospital for further assessment, and luckily, there were no other injuries.