DUNGENESS — Clallam County sheriff’s investigators are continuing their probe into a Monday night crash in which a van damaged part of the front entrance to the historical Old Dungeness Schoolhouse.
Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron said a 1979 Chevrolet van driven by Dale Harris, 53, of Sequim, drove off the north side of Towne Road into the front steps of the 119-year-old schoolhouse building, which is now operated by the Sequim Museum & Arts Center.
Cameron said the van struck and broke off pieces of concrete and destroyed the handrail on the steps leading up to the entrance.
The van then glanced off a portion of the foundation to the east of the steps and came to a stop on the grass.
Harris, the only occupant of the van, was found to be uninjured and had fled the scene on foot, Cameron said.
Neighbors who witnessed the crash alerted Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Yarnes, who found Harris in a nearby field.
The driver was arrested without incident for investigation of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs and taken to the Clallam County jail in Port Angeles.
The van, which sustained substantial front end damage and flat tires, was towed from the scene.
Damage to the schoolhouse was estimated at about $1,000.
The building, now operated by the MAC as a meeting center and museum, was given an exterior renovation and new paint in 2011.
It is a focal point of the yearlong Sequim centennial celebration, which officially began in October.