'We do not want the building to fall': Safety first approach following dramatic crash

It will be some time before a large tractor can be removed from a historic building in downtown Seaforth.

The tractor crashed into the Main Street structure at 8 p.m. Friday. It came to rest wedged fully into the main floor, causing extensive damage.

Longtime Seaforth resident Charles Nigh was among the first to see the aftermath Friday.

On Sunday morning, his eyes still could not process the sight.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “To see that (the tractor) sitting in that building like that.”

A few minutes after Nigh shared his words, work crews safely separated two large trailers attached to the tractor.

Huron-East Mayor Bernie Maclellan in Seaforth, Ont. on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News Windsor)

What happens next is in the hands of engineers and insurance companies, according to the local mayor.

“We do not want the building falling down and hurting anybody. So, we’re going to keep the barricades up, or some agency will, until that issue is addressed,” stated Huron East Mayor Bernie Maclellan.

Amazingly, there were no physical injuries to the 23-year-old driver of the tractor.

“It’s shocking. But we are glad everybody is safe, and nobody is hurt,” shared Tien Mikoleit, who lives nearby.

Still, multiple residents say a senior couple, who resided directly above the impact site, suffered shock.

A tractor crashed into a building on Main Street in Seaforth, Ont. on Friday and was still there as crews worked to remove it Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)A crack is visible on the second floor of the damaged structure in Seaforth, Ont. on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

 

They were home at the time of the crash.

While police and engineers continue their investigation, townspeople wonder how long Main Street will remain closed.

They also fear the building, a key part of Seaforth’s historic downtown, might not be salvageable.

“This was a beautiful building,” Maclellan said. “You can still see the artwork in the brickwork. It’s unfortunate. And, if we end up losing the building from the corner, well, that will be really unfortunate.”

“It's a crying shame to see a building that has been heritage for years be destroyed for no reason,” sighed Nigh.  

A tractor crashed into a building on Main Street in Seaforth, Ont. on Friday and was still there as crews worked to remove it Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)