For the second time in two years, a truck smashed into the Forest Lane mural.
As longtime Forest Lane mural champion Brent Herling said on the Forest Lane mural Facebook page, “Only someone’s pride and his truck washurt this time.”
Yesterday, for the second time in two years, a truck went careening into the colorful wall. Luckily, no one was injured, including the mural, unlike the last time, when a significant amount of wall was damaged in a hit-and-run accident.
The accident left a gapping hole for nearly two years in the mural that was first painted by W.T. white students in 1976. Homeowner Danny Scott was responsible for fixing the wall, and was waiting for insurance and city paperwork before the repairs could be made. Because Scott vocally opposed the mural and any attempts to restore it, who was known to war with its supporters on Nextdoor, some neighbors speculated that he would not fix the wall to spite neighbors.
Last summer, that caused Herling to build his own temporary wall out of wood, which led to a heated police encounter. But that didn’t stop him from returning to paint the missing mural section on the temporary wooden fence, which he later sold on eBay for $580.
Once Scott finally had the wall replaced earlier this year, Herling was there to add the psychedelic colors of the trippy mural to the newly laid brick.
Luckily, Thursday’s accident didn’t cause much damage, but we’re guessing Herling will be in the area soon to touch up any scuff marks.
