BILLINGS — A truck crashed into a warehouse at a south Billings gas station Wednesday morning, leaving the owner with questions about his business going forward.
The crash happened at the 3 G's Gas Station near the intersection of State Avenue and Orchard Lane. Owner Larry Grosulak discovered the damage around 5:45 a.m. after Billings police alerted him.
Click here to see the damage:
"There's a truck sitting in the middle of my garage and their pallets of merchandise all over the place," Grosulak said. "I almost fell over. I was shocked."
The driver allegedly lost control and crashed into the warehouse. The operations of the convenience store were not affected. Billings police said no one was injured or arrested in the crash and that "this does not appear to be anything intentional nor DUI related."
Still, it doesn't take away the concern and frustration for Grosulak.
"I don't need this today. This is not what I had planned to do today," Grosulak said.
Grosulak said the warehouse is a critical part of his operation. He orders merchandise in bulk and uses the space daily.
"Trucks come into it every week, so it's used constantly. It's a big thing to us," Grosulak said. "Not having it as an option, it changes everything for us."
Cleanup work was already underway Wednesday. Alpha Omega Disaster Restoration was on site working to stabilize the building and planning to rebuild a wall. Manager Kristene Bogle said this is exactly what her organization aims to do.
"We got a call from the ownership of the building asking if we could come out and get the building stabilized," Bogle said. "We've got equipment already here on site, so we are hoping to have this buttoned up and stabilized before the end of day today."
Stabilizing the building is only the first step. Grosulak now faces the prospect of working with the driver's insurance to cover repairs, which he fears will be challenging.
"It's going to be a six-figure repair bill at least, and it's going to be months," Grosulak said. "They're (the drivers) gone. The police are gone, and now I am left with this."
