Elk statue survives accident that injures two
The 11-foot bronze statue of an elk standing outside Elk Grove Village hall sustained a 3-inch hairline crack in one of its hindquarters Tuesday when a white Volkswagen skidded off the road, striking the statue, village officials said.
While the elk statue was hardly damaged, the decorative, granite wall behind it was not so lucky.
The driver slammed into the wall, causing it to crack and buckle.
But the elk was the primary concern for village officials.
"The elk is going to live," Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson said Wednesday.
Village officials will not be relocating the elk due to the accident, he said.
"We're not going to overreact to a one-time incident," Johnson said, explaining that in the last 20 years, this was the first vehicle to smash into that corner.
The village is contacting the original artist to see if the elk needs to be repaired.
The driver who hit the wall and elk was insured, so his policy will pay for the damages, Johnson said.
Police are still working out exactly how the accident occurred at about 1:30 p.m., but it appears that the Volkswagen and another car were involved in an accident, which resulted in the Volkswagen wedging itself in between the elk's hindquarters and the wall behind it, said Sgt. Jeff Prior.
The driver of the Volkswagen was issued a citation, but Prior didn't know exactly what police cited the driver for.
Three people were taken to the hospital for observation, but all were released soon after.
Elk Grove Village unveiled the $52,000 bronze statue in May 2007 in front of village hall at Wellington Avenue and Biesterfield Road.
It was a gift from the village to residents as a commemoration of the village's 50th anniversary, which it celebrated the year before.
The elk replaced an 18-year-old white fiberglass version that had been falling apart, requiring costly repairs, village officials said. The elk complements seven other bronze pieces on display in the village green, in front of village hall and the library.
In addition to the life-size elk, Colorado-based sculptor Karl Lansing created a smaller replica of the elk for permanent display in the village hall atrium.