Community Corner
Flooding Causes Roof Collapse at Speedwell Auto Service
Overnight rains flooded the roof of the auto shop, causing a large roof collapse.
When owner of Speedwell Auto Service Joe Mariconda got a call at 1:20 a.m. last night, he wasn't sure what was wrong--all he knew was that the fire alarm at his shop had gone off.
He arrived to find the Morristown Fire Department, the Morristown Police Department and a large hole in the roof of the building.
"I have a new skylight," said Mariconda.
Mariconda said he was told by the fire department that a drain had clogged and that water from last night's heavy rain showers had flooded the roof, which then collapsed. The fire and police departments could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday.
The shop, which has been family owned and operated by Mariconda, his brother, and his father for 39 years, has never had a problem like this before.
The damage was isolated to one corner of the shop and Mariconda said the shop will remain open while repairs are made.
On Sunday morning, High Grade Contracting, a roofing company, and G-Force Construction, both based in Randolph, were at the auto body shop assessing the damage and planning the repairs, which owner of High Grade Don Smith estimates will take one week.
The hole, Smith said, which was major compared to what he usually encounters, is about three times the size of normal holes he sees from water damage.
