
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 4, 1990                   TAG: 9004040795
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

CHESTERFIELD CAR DEALERSHIP DAMAGED

A Chesterfield County car dealership took the brunt of a tornado that tore apart the showroom, twisted the metal roof to bits and tossed cars together.

Authorities said no injuries were reported.

The tornado touched down at Nelson Bennett's Ford dealership about 8:45 p.m. Monday.

A state Transportation Department crew picked up one section of twisted metal from the dealership on Interstate 95, about a half-mile away.

"It was bad," Bennett said. "But as bad as it was, it could have been worse. We could have had somebody hurt."

Bennett said a janitor was the only person in the building when the storm hit.

"He said he heard the train coming and he knew we didn't have any train tracks," Bennett said. "He didn't know what he had."

County officials tentatively estimated property damage from the tornado along a half-mile swath at up to $500,000. There was about $100,000 damage to Bennett's dealership.

- Associated Press

by CNB