Published: 2/8/2019 6:00:27 PM
NEW SALEM — A dump truck struck a utility pole and took down wires on Blackington Road-Ellis Drive intersection Thursday afternoon, leaving the area without power into the evening.
Police Chief Joseph Camden said the accident occurred about about 4:45 p.m. when the driver of a Hunt’s Farm dump truck, George Hunt Jr. of Orange, forgot to put the bed of the body down and the bed tore down the wires and broke the utility pole.
State Police covered the scene until New Salem police and fire personnel arrived. The road was blocked to traffic until 2:30 a.m. National Grid responded with five trucks to replace the pole.
It is estimated that roughly 37 customers were without power for several hours. There were no injuries, the truck was driven away, and the police cleared the scene at 2:30 a.m. The matter remains under investigation.