Unfit for storefronts: Manufacturer says Maine Dollar Tree used wrong product at crash site
McCue says their bollard used at the store is not crash test rated and is intended for warehouses
McCue says their bollard used at the store is not crash test rated and is intended for warehouses
McCue says their bollard used at the store is not crash test rated and is intended for warehouses
The protective bollards seen outside of the Dollar Tree that a truck slammed into Monday and injured five people were not crash test rated.
The bollard’s manufacturer McCue says their Flexcore bollards, which were toppled over, are intended for warehouses and cannot withstand the impact of a car.
"I was shocked when I saw the crash. I really was,” said Thomas Ustach, McCue’s chief innovation officer.
Ustach, originally from Mechanic Falls, now works for the Massachusetts-based company and updated the Flexcore’s design.
"They should never be used for storefront protection like that. Those bollards are designed to stop forklifts,” Ustach said.
Ustach claims McCue has tried to engage with Dollar Tree on storefront safety but haven't gotten anywhere.
The city of Ellsworth did not require bollards at the site.
Ustach says it's common for municipalities to require them outside power stations and fuel tanks but not outside stores.
The crash in Ellsworth comes less than one month after a car hit an Apple store in Hingham, Massachusetts, killing one and injuring 19.
An attorney representing one of the victims pointed out that the store had protective bollards on the property but not near the store’s entrance.
Outside the Maine Mall in South Portland, at least two entrances have buried bollards.
In Auburn, the infamous Walmart parking lot bollard has been struck dozens of times and become a running joke on social media.
Rob Reiter of the Storefront Safety Council says there's a reason it's known as a "celebrity bollard."
"At the end of the day it is what proves that good bollards work,” Reiter said.
Reiter's organization tracks crashes and researches prevention strategies.
Reiter sees bollards as part of the solution.
Whether or not they contract with McCue, Ustach thinks Dollar Tree should step up safety.
"I think they owe it to their customers and to their employees to keep them safe,” Ustach said.
Dollar Tree did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.