Truck hits Vanderbilt Post Office

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Dave Capella, whose property was also damaged, points to the path the truck drove before crashing into the post office. Capella, who said his security camera captured the chase, said the vehicle made a sharp turn down Walnut Street, hitting a fence and two parked vehicles before crashing into the office.

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Property owner Mike Gualtier said the truck drove up on the fence before crashing into one of his tenant’s parked vehicles.

Zach Petroff

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A truck hit a mail drop box before plowing into the Vanderbilt Post Office early Tuesday morning.

Zach Petroff

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After hitting the fence, the truck allegedly slammed into this SUV

Zach Petroff

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After hitting the SUV, witnesses and neighbors said the vehicle then hit a parked truck before it crashed into the post office.

Zach Petroff

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When Mike Gualtieri heard a loud crashing noise just outside his home Tuesday morning, he thought it was a spring storm.

“It sounded like thunder to me, but my wife was in the kitchen and saw the whole thing,” said Gualitieri. “She yelled up the steps at me and said, ‘Someone hit the post office.'”

Around 1:30 a.m., a Dodge Ram truck plowed into the Vanderbilt Post Office on Liberty Street, leaving a gaping hole in the front of the building. A blue postal drop box in front of the building was also knocked over.

Witnesses reported that the driver of the truck – who has not been identified or apprehended – appeared to be fleeing from police on Leisenring Vanderbilt Road.

Before hitting the post office, the driver hit a fence and parked vehicles on Walnut Street, then traveled through Gualitieri’s backyard, according to witnesses.

Dave Capella, whose property was also damaged, said he captured the entire incident on video and had turned it over to police.

“The cops were chasing this guy, he made a quick turn – hit a fence up there at (the end of the street), hit another woman’s car, hit a brand new pick up truck and then hit the post office and took off,” Capella said. “He was rolling.”

State police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said there was not a long chase before the driver hit the post office.

He said police were trying to pull the man over for a traffic violation, and when officers activated their sirens, the driver of the truck fled. By the time troopers caught up with the truck, it had already crashed into the entrance of the post office, Gagliardi said.

“By the time police arrived on the scene, the operator was on foot,” Gagliardi said.

As of late afternoon Tuesday, the driver had not been apprehended but Gagliardi said a forensic team had been to the scene and officers were able to recover security footage from the post office and a nearby business.

Mark Lawrence, a strategic communications specialist for the United States Postal Service, confirmed via email that all mail previously delivered to the Vanderbilt P.O. Boxes have been transferred to the Dawson Post Office. Additionally, mail from the outside collection box has been sent for processing as usual.

However, he did not respond to questions regarding how individuals can confirm whether their mail has been secured.

The post office in Dawson is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.