Brainerd YMCA Partially Reopens 2 Days After Car Crashes into Building

The Brainerd Family YMCA reopened portions of their building yesterday, two days after a car crashed into the building.

The building was occupied at the time of the crash. YMCA officials say there were no serious injuries but seven children and one staff member were sent to the hospital for precautionary measures.

The Y opened Thursday following assessment of the facility structure and mechanical system, but portions remained closed, including the licensed child care, the weight room, or the family locker room at this time. YMCA officials are thanking the community for their support during this difficult time.

“Part of our mission is to make sure that when there’s something happens in the community that we’re able to step up and be there for them, but in this case, the community’s shown that they’re here also for us,” said Shane Riffle, Brainerd Family YMCA CEO. “And I can’t tell you how reassuring that is, not just for me but for our staff, with the notes and the phone calls and people stopping by to let us know how much they care about our teachers and our kids and the YMCA. So it just affirms that, you know, we’ve been here since 1887, we’re here today, and we’re committed to being here well into the future.”

The car that struck the building was involved in a collision at the intersection of South 6th Street and Oak Street. After that collision, the car then struck a Brainerd police car which was stopped at the intersection and proceeded to crash into the green room of the YMCA’s child care center on the west side of the building.

The Baxter Police Department is handling the investigation since a Brainerd squad car was indirectly involved.