United Methodist Church damaged in Alden

On Thursday, Pastor Dan Biteman, of Alden’s United Methodist Church was busy at his desk in the church office. Some of the children from the Sprigs n Sprouts Day Care Center, were in the church play yard, cooling themselves off on a hot afternoon, by running through the sprinkler, while other children were in a classroom in the church basement. Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and the entire building began shaking violently. When the pastor went to investigate he discovered a Chevy Tahoe, which had been traveling down Alden Highway, when it neglected to make the turn onto Helena Road, and had driven straight into the side of the building, and into the church vestibule.

Pastor Dan said, “A person nearby, told me to be careful because there was blood everywhere.” Thinking someone was seriously injured, the pastor looked into the opening left in the side of the building and saw a man standing outside of the vehicle. At first, he appeared to be someone who might be trying to help the driver, but Pastor Dan soon realized, he was the driver, and the red substance that looked like blood, wasn’t blood at all, it was strawberry jam from the church’s now demolished food pantry.

The South Torch Lake Fire & Rescue responded to the scene and the driver, who reportedly “blacked out at the wheel” was transported by ambulance to the hospital, to be checked out. The church vestibule suffered significant damage to both stair cases leading to the basement and upstairs to the church itself, along with damage to the elevator. The children were evacuated out a side door, and thankfully no one in the church was hurt.