Traffic & Transit

Dump Truck Crash Causes Power Outage In Bloomfield: Police

A dump truck driver got trapped in his vehicle after ripping a utility pole out of the ground and sending live wires scattering, police said

(Bloomfield Police Dept.)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield emergency responders rescued a dump truck driver after he accidentally ripped a utility pole out of the ground with his vehicle, causing a power outage near Federal Plaza early Friday morning, authorities said.

According to the Bloomfield Police Department, the incident began around 6:12 a.m., when a dump truck owned by Ferreira Construction struck a utility pole on Federal Plaza.

The driver was emptying the bed of the truck – which was full of water – when he pulled away with the bed up, ripping a nearby utility pole out of the ground… along with the wires, police said.

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The truck pulled down power lines and temporarily knocked power out in the area of Federal Plaza. In addition, the driver was trapped inside the truck due to live wires entangled on the vehicle, police said.

Once the power was shut down by PSE&G, the driver was able to escape the truck unharmed, police said.

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Authorities issued the driver summonses for careless driving and having an over-height limit that caused property damage.

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