A fiery car crash that left a library seriously damaged in downtown Hollywood, forcing it to stay closed, has grown into a bigger headache than the public might’ve imagined.
Not only did the SUV driver in the crash vanish in February, but now Broward County’s Hollywood branch library at 2600 Hollywood Blvd. isn’t expected to reopen until sometime next year. Exactly when it’ll reopen hasn’t been announced.
So for now, patrons must keep traveling much farther away — perhaps a 12-minute drive or more — if they want to visit any of the other libraries in the region.
The crash
The black Range Rover was driving westbound on Hollywood Boulevard sometime after 3 a.m. Feb. 22, when the crash happened. The driver missed the City Hall Circle turn, jumped the curve and drove straight into the library. No one was inside the building at the time of the crash.
The crash resulted in smoke and shattered windows, as well as some flooding, photos from the Broward County Library system show.
When Hollywood Police and the fire department arrived, the car was in flames and the driver was gone, a city spokesperson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in February. A witness told Hollywood Police in February the driver walked away. Police didn’t identify whether the driver was male or female, or whether the person was injured.
A half-year later, the driver still hasn’t been identified.
“Due to insufficient evidence, we are unable to identify the driver or the vehicle involved in this incident,” Hollywood Police Detective Danielly De Andrade told the Sun Sentinel this week in an email. “The case remains closed unless new information or evidence emerges that warrants further investigation.”
Dealing with the damage
Broward County staff and a contracted company for building restoration began cleaning the library immediately after the crash, removing all smoke and soot from the inside.
Construction repairs for the library began in July and included replacing some ceilings, carpets, lighting, air systems and parts of the building’s structure, according to Stephen Grubb, spokesperson for the Broward County Library system.
Library furniture and about 39,000 books were moved into storage to make room for construction, Grubb wrote in an email.
An estimated final cost for library repairs hasn’t been determined yet, as the damage is being handled as an insurance claim, Grubb said.
Residents can visit alternative branches, such as the Marta-Beth Friedman Stirling Road library, which will temporarily open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the Hollywood branch reopens.
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