每天读一篇英语小故事：Pier Collapses
The Oakville pier collapsed Saturday afternoon at 3:30. Although hundredsof people were on the pier at the time of the collapse, no one was killed and
only 15 people were injured. One person was seriously injured. That person was a
43-year-old man who suffered two broken legs, eight broken ribs, and a punctured
lung.
Hundreds of people gathered around to watch the rescue efforts. Three local
television stations and two radio stations broadcast live from the pier. The
collapse occurred after a big rig went out of control Saturday morning and
slammed into one of the main supports for the pier.
For public safety reasons, a city council member wanted to close the pier
immediately. However, local businesses on the pier and nearby protested.
Oakville officials decided to wait until tomorrow before sending out a
structural engineer to investigate the damage.
“The driver reeked of booze,” said a police officer who had written the
truck driver a ticket for driving under the influence. “He was so drunk that he
didn't even apply his brakes before he crashed into the support. It's a miracle
that he didn’t kill someone,” said the officer, who took the driver to jail.
City officials said it was too early to get a complete damage estimate, but
that repairs to the pier would probably cost at least $500,000 and take a month
or more. The local business people are very unhappy because the repair process
will significantly reduce consumer purchases for the summer season.
“We make 80 percent of our annual profits from June through September,”
noted one T-shirt vendor. “This is going to hurt.”
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