BERKELEY – A driver looking at his phone crashed into two utility poles Friday morning on Route 9, sparking a transformer fire and forcing a two-hour road closure, police said.
The crash occurred about 9:43 a.m. near 938 Atlantic City Boulevard, according to Berkeley Township police. Officers arrived to find a gold Chevrolet Equinox with heavy front-end damage on the southbound side of the road, a sparking wire on the ground and a transformer in flames. A second utility pole was found broken about 230 feet north of where the SUV came to rest.
Investigators said the driver, traveling south, swerved to avoid rear-ending another vehicle after looking down at his phone. He struck a pole, continued about 75 feet along the shoulder, and hit another pole before stopping. He was evaluated by Bayville First Aid and reported no injuries.
Traffic in both directions was diverted for about 2½ hours, with brief power outages affecting nearby businesses and homes. JCP&L, Verizon and New Jersey Natural Gas responded, along with Bayville Fire Department, Lacey Township police, state police and the state Department of Transportation.
The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Christopher Elliott of the Berkeley Township Police Department Traffic Safety Bureau.
