UPDATE: Driver Injured In Route 70 Crash In Brick

(Photos submitted by Patch reader Amanda Lake show the snapped utility pole on the ground and the car that hit it shortly after the accident on Route 70 Tuesday morning.)

A 39-year-old Colts Neck man was taken to the hospital Tuesday after his car struck a utility pole in Brick, police said.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta operated by Anthony Cutolo was traveling on Route 70 westbound when he began to experience mechanical problems, Capt. Ron Dougard said.

He lost control of his vehicle and struck a utility pole in front of the old Foodtown site. The crash caused the pole to snap at the base and his vehicle overturned, Dougard said.

Route 70 was shut down to traffic because of wires lying in the roadway for approximately an hour-and-a-half.

Cutolo was transported to an area hospital by the Brick Police EMS to be treated for minor injuries he sustained in the crash, Dougard said.

The crash investigation was conducted by Officer Louis Valanzola. No summonses were issued.

The Brick Police EMS, state Department of Transportation, the Ocean County Road Department and JCP&L all assisted at the scene, he said.

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: One lane of Route 70 is open as crews continue working to clean up after a crash that took down a utility pole near the intersection with Brick Boulevard, according to the Brick Township Traffic Safety Bureau.

Traffic tieups continue to affect surrounding roads, as the intersection is a major connector between the southern part of Brick and points north. Motorists posting on Facebook are reporting it has taken an hour or more to get around the area.

Details on the crash will be made available later, police said.

PREVIOUSLY: A crash with a downed utility pole has closed Route 70 in both directions at the intersection with Brick Boulevard in Brick, according to the website 511nj.org.

Motorists are urged to avoid the area.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m., according to the site.

More details will be added as they become available.