New Salem neighborhood thrust into darkness

The Blackington Road-Ellis Drive area in New Salem was without power for some time Thursday evening after a dump truck took down wires and snapped a utility pole. Submitted photo

The dump truck took down wires and snapped a utility pole on Blackington Road at the intersection at Ellis Drive. Submitted photo

POLE STRUCK — The Blackington Road-Ellis Drive area in New Salem was without power for some time Thursday evening. According to Police Chief Joseph Camden, at approximately 4:45 p.m., a Hunt’s Farm dump truck, operated by George Hunt Jr. of Orange, took down wires and snapped a utility pole on Blackington Road at the intersection at Ellis Drive. He said the driver forgot to put the bed of body down and tore down the wires, breaking a utility pole. The State Police covered the scene until arrival of the New Salem Police and the New Salem Fire Department was also on scene. 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. Above photo shows wires down and a mailbox damaged when a dump truck snagged wires and dsnapped a utility pole on  Blackington Road in New Salem Thursday night. National Grid responded to the scene to replace the pole and the police cleared the scene at 2:30 a.m. —Submitted photo