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Drayton Valley doctor injured when truck crashes through his clinic

A doctor is in hospital with internal injuries after a patient at his Drayton Valley practice drove a pickup truck through the clinic's brick wall.

'We're just grateful it wasn't worse'

Roberta Bell · CBC News ·
A pickup truck crashed into Shale Medical Clinic in Drayton Valley on Monday, injuring a doctor. (Shale Medical Clinic )

A doctor is in hospital with internal injuries after a patient at his Drayton Valley practice drove a pickup truck through the clinic's brick wall. 

Dr. Ryan White was between patients and sitting at his desk in an exam room at Shale Medical Clinic around 9:40 a.m. Monday when the truck smashed into the front of the building, his colleague, Dr. Joel Giddey, told CBC News on Tuesday.Dr. Ryan White is in an Edmonton hospital with internal injuries. (Shale Medical Clinic)

"A patient was pulling into the parking lot to come in for an appointment and lost control of his vehicle," Giddey said.

The driver was coming to see a different doctor, he said.

White suffered internal injuries and was taken to hospital in Edmonton, where he remains, Giddey said. 

"The reports are that he is doing well and we're just awaiting further information from the trauma surgeon." 

The driver of the black Chevy Avalanche was not injured, Giddey said. 

$50,000-$100,000 in damage

The clinic at 5004 50th Ave. opened in January.

Giddey and White, who are both from South Africa and formerly worked together there, are now at Shale Medical Clinic with two other doctors, practicing out a building in the centre of town. 

"It's always a bit of a shock to have something like this happen, but more so you've just moved into a brand new building that's just been renovated," Giddey said. "To see that kind of damage done and have a colleague injured has taken everybody by surprise." The hole in the wall where the pickup truck hit the wall. (Shale Medical Clinic )

The damage is estimated at between $50,000 and $100,000 to the one exam room, Giddey said.

"His room, you've got a large hole in the wall. The internal contents of the room were destroyed along with it."

A contractor has estimated repairs will take three to six weeks, he said.

The initial evaluation of the building did not find any structural problems, Giddey said, so the clinic can continue to serve patients in the reception area and the remaining six exam rooms. 

Police investigating

Police are investigating. 

Giddey said he did not talk to the driver but was told the driver reported to police that he was braking at the time of incident. 

"An eyewitness that later spoke to me said that he was coming around the corner of 50th and 50th and saw a car pull up to the clinic, stop about 10 metres away from the clinic and then suddenly rapidly accelerate," Giddey said. 

Giddey spoke with White on Tuesday morning and is hopeful he will be discharged soon. 

"He will definitely be returning. He's stable. He's in good spirits. We expect him back. It's just a question of timelines. 

Until White can return to work, the other doctors have taken on his patients.

"We're just grateful it wasn't worse," Giddey said.