North Side School in East Williston will open on time despite crash that damaged library, district says
A driver suffering a medical episode Sunday crashed into a section of North Side School in East Williston, police said. Credit: Danielle Silverman
An East Williston elementary school will open as scheduled next month despite a crash Sunday evening in which a Jeep plowed into the building's library, according to a district spokesperson.
District officials are continuing to assess the damage to the North Side School but the spokesperson said it is not expected to impact students' first day back to school on Aug. 31. The building was unoccupied at the time of the crash.
The crash occurred around 6:15 p.m., when a 77-year-old motorist driving a 2019 Jeep suffered a medical episode, police said. He was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Police did not release further updates on his condition Monday.
"We remain incredibly grateful that this happened during the summer, when our building was unoccupied, and that no one was injured," district officials said in a statement.
They also noted ongoing litigation has halted plans to construct fencing around the perimeter of the school.
The district had proposed building a 6-foot-tall fence, which is two feet taller than village code allows.
In 2019, a small group of residents sued the district, claiming it required a village permit. The district has maintained the state permit it received was enough.
The district's original plans included a stone retaining wall that was dropped due to the village's concerns, the statement read.
While district officials acknowledged that the proposed fencing would not have prevented the crash, they said the incident "was a stark reminder of how quickly unexpected events can occur."
Village Mayor Bonnie L.S. Parenti and others have raised concerns over the proposed location of the fencing, including access for emergency vehicles and fire hydrant accessibility, according to a statement provided by Village Clerk Joanna E. Palumbo on Monday.
"The Village has also consistently maintained that in moving forward with the fencing the District should make an application to the appropriate Boards within the Village," the statement reads.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs and district could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
