Cars Entangled in Wires Forced Temporary Closure of Purchase Street

Strong winds that knocked a tree branch on to phone lines on Fountain Street were the start of a utility line ensnarement of two vehicles on Purchase Street.

A woman who was driving on Fountain, taking the left onto Purchase Street, became entangled in the low-hanging wires about 6:40 a.m., according to a police report. She was not aware this had happened, and kept driving. As the woman, 68, traveled north on Purchase, her Toyota Camry ripped the wires down from two poles on Purchase Street.

This caused damage to the passenger side of the vehicle and the undercarriage. A Chevrolet Monte Carlo, traveling south on Purchase Street, then became entangled in the wires also, causing damage to the front passenger side and undercarriage, the police report said.

Both vehicles had to be extricated from the wires, and towed from the scene. Neither driver was injured.

Police shut off travel to this section of Purchase and Fountain streets until the vehicles could be cleared. By Thursday afternoon, utility crews were completing work to reinstall the lines.