A 45-year-old East Aberdeen man caused about $50,000 in damage when his rental truck struck the drive-thru entrance to Journey Travel at 108 E. First St. in Aberdeen Saturday afternoon, according to Aberdeen Police Lt. C.J. Chastain.

A citizen informed an Aberdeen officer in the station parking lot at 3:45 p.m. to the damage. Chastain said the three pillars that supported the east side of the overhang were severely damaged. Another citizen described the vehicle that left the scene and provided officers with a cell phone image. Officers tracked the rental U-Haul truck to the East Aberdeen man who later returned to the scene.

“He told officers he was driving through when the tall truck storage box struck the overhang,” said Chastain. “He reported he panicked because he was supposed to have the truck back by 4 p.m., so he backed up and drove away.”

The overhang was inspected by a local construction company, and the area was secured to prevent anybody from entering and becoming injured. Sunday morning a large crane and two forklifts were brought in and the overhang was removed from the building. The driver was cited with hit-and-run and driving on a suspended license, said Chastain.

COURTESY ABERDEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT The drive-thru entrance to Journey Travel in Aberdeen was damaged Saturday afternoon when a hit and run driver struck it with a rental truck. Damage to the truck and building is estimated at $50,000.