A vehicle’s brake failure caused a Jefferson woman to strike a building Tuesday afternoon. The Jefferson Police Department responded to the scene in the 300 block of North Chestnut Street at approximately 2:13 p.m. Brittany Smith was westbound on East Washington Street in a 2001 Ford Taurus when she turned right onto North Chestnut. She told authorities the steering and brakes failed, causing her to strike a post and the Shadran Industrial and Sanitary Supplies building. Officers located a trail of fluid in the roadway, validating Smith’s report of the failures. There was an estimated $1,000 in damage done to the building and $5,000 in damage to the Taurus, which is owned by William Richardson.