Runaway Pickup
by Amy Kolb Noyes

MORRISVILLE - Rob Maynard decided to undertake some renovation work to
his store, Power Play Sports, this week. Now he really has his work cut
out for him. In fact, it was cut out by a runaway pickup.
It was mid-afternoon on Wednesday, August 18, when Elmore resident Brent
Miller parked his truck in Morrisville's municipal parking lot and
entered the Post Office. When he came back out, his truck was gone. The
unmanned pickup rolled down the Portland Street hill, straight past
Caplan's, under Power Play Sport's bike display tent and into the bay
window at the front of the store. On its way, the truck took out the
tent, a post to the building, a bike, a bike trailer and a stuffed frog.
According to the accident report, Miller told Morristown police he left
the truck in first gear, but did not apply his parking break when he
parked in the municipal lot.
Maynard and employee Nathan Paulin were working outside the storefront
and saw the truck coming. Maynard recalled there was a split second when
he wondered if he could jump in the unoccupied truck and stop it from
rolling. He quickly decided that was not an option, and ran inside his
store. Paulin chose flight in the opposite direction, running off the
sidewalk and into Portland Street. Then came the crash.
Due to the renovations, Maynard already had his tools at hand. Even as
police officers on scene were taking statements Maynard began measuring
around the truck, now embedded in his display window, to make the needed
Band Aid® repairs. He later said he was determined to get the building
stabilized immediately, and get out of there in time for his hockey game
that evening. He arrived at CREW a little late, but made it onto the
"Pam's Pond" ice before the game was over.
Maynard said the accident might have been much worse and he is thankful
no one was injured. "Everything can be fixed," Maynard commented. "It's
just a building."