Lay's Potato Chip Truck Crashes into Danielson Business

A Lay's Potato Chip truck crashed into a welding shop next to a martial arts school in Danielson on Tuesday morning and remained there for hours until crews were able to safely remove it from the building.

State police said the truck driver lost control around 4:45 a.m. and crashed into the building that houses the welding shop, which is next to a separate building that houses Danielson Martial Arts Academy at 30 Wauregan Road and classes will likely be canceled for a week.

A pickup parked in the parking lot was also damaged. 

Daryl Laperle, the owner of Danielson Martial Arts Academy, said the his father called him around 5 a.m. to tell him a truck crashed into the school. 

“They sent me pictures before, but I was half asleep. And then when I finally saw it in person, I was kind of shocked,” he said.

 A backhoe inside the building was able to stop the truck from going further inside, according to the family that owns the building.

“Thankfully, my nephew put it in there last night and that’s probably what saved the karate school,” Laperle said. 

Crews had to turn off the gas because the proximity of the crash to the gas line. 

"They’re pretty sure the building is going to collapse and there’s a gas line right there, so we’re kind of concerned about that. Hopefully we don’t lose the karate school. Hopefully they can figure it out,” Laperle said. 

The driver, identified as Robert Morano, 40, of Jewett City, was taken to a William Backus Hospital to be evaluated as a precaution, but police said he person was not injured.

The extent of the damage to the building is not yet known, but Laperle said they had to cancel martial arts classes, probably for the rest of the week.

“The problem is the gas, the heat and all the electricity are run through the wielding shop, so we have nothing in the karate school right at the moment,” he said. 

The truck was removed on Tuesday afternoon.

The cargo the truck was carrying will have to be destroyed to ensure it is not used for consumption, according to the Department of Consumer Protection.

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