WALL – A crash involving a tractor-trailer early Friday morning brought down multiple utility poles, ignited a vehicle fire and left hundreds without power along Route 34, authorities said.
Wall Township Emergency Services were dispatched around 7:45 a.m. to Route 34 North, just north of Hurley Pond Road, after receiving reports of a tractor-trailer striking a utility pole.
Responders determined the truck had been exiting a business when it became tangled in overhead wires, pulling down several utility poles. Live electrical lines then fell onto four vehicles traveling northbound, officials said.
Two people became trapped inside one of the vehicles, which caught fire. Firefighters from Glendola Fire Company and South Wall Fire Rescue extinguished the flames and freed the occupants.
One person was injured and treated at the scene by Monmouth County Emergency Medical Services, authorities said.
The crash prompted the closure of Route 34 in both directions between Hurley Pond Road and Belmar Boulevard as crews worked to secure the area. The New Jersey Department of Transportation set up detours to manage traffic.
As of noon, northbound lanes remained closed in that stretch, while southbound traffic was reduced to a single lane. Officials said it was unclear when the northbound lanes would reopen.
About 700 homes and businesses lost power due to the downed lines. Utility crews were on scene working to restore service.
The incident remains under investigation by Wall Township Police Patrolman Trent Powers.
