An entire state office building in downtown Bridgeton remains closed after an alleged drunken driver plowed through the front of the structure over the weekend.
The site is expected to reopen next week.
A 25-year-old Bridgeton woman was traveling at a high rate of speed on Pearl Street when her SUV crossed Broad Street, jumped a curb and hit the Bridgeton State Office Building at 40 E. Broad shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday, according to Bridgeton police. An officer witnessed the crash, police said.
The motorist was treated for a head injury and charged with driving while intoxicated.
The four-story building, which was empty at the time, suffered substantial damage and the driver’s SUV remains in the structure.
The breach has been boarded up while officials evaluate the damage and plan for repairs.
An engineer determined the impact didn’t damage the structural integrity of the building, according to Melinda Caliendo, spokeswoman with the state Office of the Treasury. That office’s Division of Property and Construction Management oversees all state-owned and leased buildings.
The site houses various state offices, including for the departments of Children and Families, Labor, Judiciary, Corrections and the Office of the Public Defender.
Now that the building has been deemed safe, the vehicle will likely be removed by the end of the week, Caliendo said.
After that will come debris removal and repairs, with the building expected to reopen around the middle of next week, according to Caliendo.
A cost estimate to repair the damage wasn’t available this week.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
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