Driver Crashes, Snaps Pole for Second Time in a Year

For the second time in about a year, a driver crashed into the same utility pole along Route 97 and snapped it in half.

The latest crash happened just after midnight on Saturday morning when Wenham police said the driver of a Chevrolet headed north went off the right side of the road and crashed into the pole.

The driver allegedly left the scene after the crash and was located by police further north on Route 97 (Topsfield Road).

The driver, who was not named by police, was not injured and denied medical treatment.

He told police he fell asleep at the wheel. He was issued a summons for marked marked lanes violation, operating with a suspended license and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He’ll have to appear in Ipswich District Court at a later date to answer to those charges.

The pole that was struck does not actually hold any utility wires and instead serves to help support a pole on the opposite side of the road.

The pole was last struck in January 2012. In that instance, power lines crashed down to the road and the road was closed for longer than six hours while repairs were made. The driver was also uninjured in last year's crash.