Police are investigating what they are calling a break and enter and mischief near Cochrane, Alta., after a driver plowed through the entrance of a community school on April 12.
Reports of a male driving a blue Hyundai Elantra through the east side entrance of Morley Community School were called in to police just before 7 a.m.
Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage shows the car being driven down the school’s hallways, “causing extensive damage,” police said in a news release Tuesday. Police believe there to be “in excess of $150,000” in damages done to the school on the Stoney Nakota First Nation.
Jeff Horvath, the school’s principal said it was hard to watch the footage of their “second home” being destroyed, but they were lucky to have been on spring break when it happened.
He said he’s incredibly grateful for teachers, staff and the community who have come together to clean up and rebuild the damage done. Students are even working to beautify the temporary plywood doors by painting them, he said.
The school is hoping to get most of the repairs done during the summer while the school is closed.
Bill Shade, superintendent of the Stoney Education Authority, said the damage he saw was “totally unbelievable” when he stopped by the school the morning of the incident.
While his initial reaction was anger, he said the focus quickly shifted to getting the kids back in school.
“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “With all the hard work that took place, the team that came together right from chief and council all the way down to maintenance, teachers, staff, students … seeing them back here, it’s a total positive outcome from something I didn’t think would be possible.”
Police have found and seized the vehicle involved and, while a warrant is pending, police have arrested a man whose name will not be released at this time.
Police continue to investigate.
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