MANCHESTER – A commercial dump truck accidentally pulled power lines on October 5 causing a utility pole to break on County Road 547, police said.
Around 7 a.m., officers from the Manchester Township Police Department responded to the area of County Road 547 near the intersection of Ridge Ave. for an accident involving a dump truck.
Police found the dump truck in the southbound lane of County Road 547 with a severed utility pole on top of it.
According to police, the dump truck had entered the roadway with the rear open-box bed partially raised. As a result, the elevated rear open-box hit the power lines that crossed the roadway, causing tension and breaking the utility pole.
The driver, 33-year-old Jason Veloso of Rahway, did not sustain any injuries from the crash and was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the incident, police said.
County Road 547 between County Road 571 and Ridgeway Blvd. were closed in both directions today while the damaged utility pole and wires were being repaired.
Assisting at the scene were Jackson Township Police Officers, EMTs and Firefighters from the Manchester Township Division of Emergency Services, the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department and the Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Department.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, police believe that driver error is the primary contributing factor. This crash is being investigated by Patrolman Michael O’Hara of the department’s Traffic Safety Unit.
