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

DATE: TUESDAY, August 23, 1994                   TAG: 9408230088
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

RAM-TOUGH TRUCK PENALIZES BANK DURING EARLY WITHDRAWAL

All Shannon Armstrong needed was ten bucks to refill his gas tank early Monday. But instead of stopping at the bank, he drove right through it.

It was 3:45 a.m. Armstrong had just gotten off from the night shift at the Kroger warehouse. His gas gauge was almost on empty, so he pulled his Ford Ranger pickup into the Crestar Bank at Spartan Square in Salem.

The truck "acted like it was going to stop, but then it went over the curb; and the next thing I knew, I went through the window," Armstrong said.

Police said his brakes failed.

The resulting crash shattered a large plate glass window at the West Main Street bank and scratched the cab of Armstrong's Cayman-green truck.

"Yeah, it was a nice color," he said.

No bank alarm sounded. So Armstrong got out of his truck and walked to a pay phone to call police.

The bank's automated teller machine wasn't touched in the incident. And Armstrong eventually got his money. A Salem police officer reminded him to make a withdrawal.

After the early morning experience, Armstrong washed his truck and enjoyed the rest of his day off at his Roanoke home.

Damage was estimated at $1,000 to the bank and about $400 to Armstrong's truck.

Through it all, Armstrong kept his sense of humor.

"What they need is more drive-thru ATMs around here," he said.

by CNB