Hit and run damages Aberdeen business

A hit and run over the weekend left an Aberdeen business severely damaged.

The Aberdeen Police Department tells KXRO that on Saturday afternoon at about 3:45 p.m. a citizen advised an officer of damage to a building on First St.

Officers found the overhang roofing at the drive-thru entrance to Journey Travel had been significantly damaged.

The three pillars supporting the east side of the overhang were damaged severely, and it was in jeopardy of falling.

Police say the vehicle involved had fled the scene.

While investigating the collision, officers were notified by another citizen across the alley to the north that they had witnessed the collision.

The witness used their cell phone to capture an image of the large U-Haul truck that had hit the overhang and officers tracked

the truck rental back to a 45-year old Aberdeen man.

According to police, the hit and run driver later returned to the crash scene and he told officers he was driving through when the tall truck storage box struck the overhang.

He reported that he panicked because he was supposed to have the truck back by 4:00 p.m., so he backed up and drove away.

The man was issued criminal citations for Hit and Run and driving with a suspended license.

A large crane and two forklifts were brought in on Sunday morning and the overhang was removed from the building.

Damage estimates are expected to exceed $50,000 to the building and truck.