Accident on Mountain Ave. Dislodges Utility Poles, Injures Driver

An early morning two-car motor vehicle accident in the middle of Springfield landed one driver in the hospital and resulted in significant damage to public property.

Springfield Fire Chief James Sanford said the accident occured at 211 Mountain Avenue, near the intersection of Waverly Avenue. Springfield First Aid Squad volunteer Zachary Sandman said a motorist driving a black sport utility vehicle struck two mail boxes and dislodged both of them and slammed into two telephone poles before his car came to a stop.

One of the poles fell into the path of a a second motorist driving in the opposite direction on Mountain Avenue. The driver of the second vehicle was unable to avoid the pole lying on the roadway and sustained heavy damage to his vehicle.

The accident occurred in front of the Springfield Fire Department, and Springfield FD responded swiftly to secure the scene and assist clearing debris. Police responded to the accident, too, blocking traffic on Mountain Avenue.

The First Aid Squad treated the S.U.V.'s driver for a leg injury and transported him to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. The other driver declined medical attention. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The crash occurred just before 1 a.m. The cause is unknown. Springfield Police are investigating the accident. In additon, police notified the U.S. Postal Police about the damages mailboxes and informed JCP&L about the damage to the utility poles.