Driver crashes into utility pole, causing traffic lights to fall, forcing intersection closure
A late-night car crash forced an extended closure of a Zeeland Township intersection after a vehicle struck a utility pole, causing traffic signals to collapse onto the roadway.
ZEELAND TWP. — A late-night car crash forced an extended closure of a Zeeland Township intersection after a vehicle struck a utility pole, causing traffic signals to collapse onto the roadway.
According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the single-vehicle accident occurred Wednesday night, June 10, at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of westbound Chicago Drive and Byron Road.
Police said a 2021 Nissan, driven by a 20-year-old woman from Farmington Hills, was traveling westbound on Chicago Drive when she failed to negotiate a turn onto Byron Road. The vehicle veered off the right side of the road, colliding with both a power pole and a traffic signal control box.
The driver escaped injury and declined medical attention at the scene, authorities said.
However, the impact fractured the power pole, snapping the support wires that hold the intersection's traffic lights in place. The resulting power failure caused the heavy signals to sag precariously low over the lanes, forcing police to completely shut down the intersection.
Crews from the Michigan Department of Transportation responded to the scene and were working to hoist the signals and restore power.
The crash remains under investigation. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
— Submitted by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
