A Westport Island employee accidentally drove her BMW into the Westport Island town office at 10:45 a.m. June 18, damaging the building and the car.
Susan S. Partelow, 66, of Westport Island, was driving her 2007 BMW 328xi when her foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas pedal, Westport Island firefighter Jason Abbott said. The impact damaged the rear wall and a window.
There were no injuries. Partelow was wearing a seat belt, and the vehicle’s airbags did not deploy.
No one was in the area of the building at the time of the accident. Westport Island Second Selectman Gerald Bodmer said he had been working with a resident on a plumbing issue and had moved into another office just before the accident.
The town is in the process of obtaining an estimate for the cost of repairs to the building. The estimate for the damage to the vehicle is $3,800, Partelow said.
Partelow serves as Westport Island’s administrative assistant, tax collector, and treasurer, as well as the deputy excise tax collector, deputy registrar of voters, and deputy town clerk. She has been with the town for 12 years.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Westport Island Fire Department responded to the scene.
