Arch to West Virginia baseball/softball field destroyed by construction vehicle

HANCOCK COUNTY, W.Va. ( WTRF ) – An arch to a baseball/softball field in West Virginia has been destroyed by a construction company.

Oak Glen Middle School in New Cumberland, W.Va posted on social media Monday saying that a construction vehicle damaged the arch to the Fields of Dreams on Monday.

One of the construction trucks working on the baseball/softball fields did not lower his bed and took out the arch and both side pillars at the gate, according to Hancock County Sheriff Scott Gittings.

Gittings said no injuries were reported, it’s just a bit of a mess.

Hancock County Schools superintendent Dan Enich said the archway was just put in a few months back and dedicated as the Suzan L. Smith Fields of Dreams.

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About a month ago, the school district announced they would be upgrading their baseball and softball fields.

“The two pillars have been there for numerous years. And, we absolutely plan to replace the two pillars and the archway,” Enich says.

“I would say total replacement cost is between $60,000-$70,000. There were 32 commemorative stones embedded in the two pillars which the stones are the only salvageable things at this point, and the ones that we can’t salvage we will find a way to replace. The rest, the archway and both pillars, are totaled.”

Dan Enich | Superintendent, Hancock County Schools

Enich reiterated the company, McClymonds Supply & Transit, accidentally left the gravel truck bed lifted when leaving the construction site.

He says the company will take care of all the clean-up, and the arch is expected to be cleared away from the area by the end of the day Monday so they can continue their project of renovating the baseball/softball fields.

“Company insurance will take care of cleanup and replacement. [It will be] a month or two when we start to replace.”

Dan Enich | Superintendent, Hancock County Schools

This area is hundreds of yards away from students, “so there is no way any student or teacher could have gotten hurt,” Enich said.

The school stated that they are asking parents/guardians to not line up for car rider pickup until after 2:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16.

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