A car crashed into the well-known River Sculpture on the side of the Grove Hotel in downtown Boise Wednesday afternoon.
No injuries were reported and there was no “significant structural damage” to the building, Boise Police spokeswoman Haley Kramer said. Two cars collided near Front Street and Capitol Boulevard, sending one vehicle up the curb and into the side of the hotel, Kramer said.
The iconic glittering blue, green and purple tiled sculpture embedded in the brown facade of the Grove Hotel was dedicated in June 1999. Wednesday’s crash naturally drew interest from passersby, with several stopping to take photos of the damage.
Small pieces of debris were strewn over the bricks in front of the art. However, the damage seemed mostly contained to the lower right corner of the building, slightly below the sculpture. It is not clear how much it will cost to repair the damage.
It was not the first time a vehicle had crashed into the sculpture. In 2016, a Meridian woman was taken to the hospital after hitting a taxi and then the art, according to earlier reporting by the Statesman. The accident occurred shortly after a $270,000 restoration of the artwork.