KETCHIKAN — An alleged drunk driver damaged the Ketchikan Welcome Arch late Wednesday night.
Ketchikan police, at approximately 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, responded to the 300 block of Mission Street for a report of a vehicle colliding with the arch’s support poles. Officers contacted the driver, a 24-year-old man, who appeared intoxicated and refused to submit to field sobriety tests, according to a news release from the Ketchikan Police Department.
The man was taken to the police station, where he allegedly refused to submit a breath sample. The man was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test. He was transported to the Ketchikan Correctional Center and released on his own recognizance, according to the release.
Since the 1930s, there has been a Ketchikan Welcome Arch on Mission Street at almost all times. The current arch — actually the fourth to span Mission Street — was installed in 1996 after Historic Ketchikan led a drive to replace the previous arch, which had been damaged in a truck collision, according to information provided by the nonprofit organization.
The City of Ketchikan is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the arch, according to City Manager Karl Amylon.
Workers with the city’s Public Works Department and the Ketchikan Public Utilities Electric Division were coordinating on Thursday to take the sign down to do a full assessment, Amylon said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.
“I don’t have any estimate on time or cost at this point,” Amylon said. “What I was told this morning is that the structural elements are probably going to have to be taken down (and) replaced. I guess there was some damage to the sidewalk as well that we’re going to have to investigate further.”
The driver is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 12 in Ketchikan District Court, according to online court records.
“We think that the actual sign itself is OK, but the superstructure that holds it in place took a serious hit,” Amylon told the Ketchikan City Council at its Thursday night meeting. “We’re going to be assessing the best way to bring (the sign) down and to affect the repairs.”
Amylon added that repairs won’t be covered under the city’s insurance, and that the city likely will pursue action against the driver’s insurance company.
• This article first appeared in the Ketchikan Daily News and is reprinted here with permission.
