Crash snarls traffic, interrupts power in Andover

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC

A one-car crash just after noon today brought traffic to a standstill and knocked out power to a number of residents along Rt. 11 west of Stigers Road in Andover.

A minivan traveling west on Rt. 11 left the road and struck a utility pole, snapping it off. The impact brought down electric wires and left phone cables hanging low over the roadside. The van came to rest on its side 20 to 30 feet off the road. The driver was able to get out of the van by the time emergency crews arrived.

The Chester Fire Department, Ambulance Service and Police responded to the scene immediately with Vermont State Police coming later.

Emergency personnel, concerned that the downed wires were live, held traffic until a Green Mountain Power crew arrived just before 1 p.m. to shut them off. Traffic backed up as the crews worked,with many turning around to find another route.

The driver of the van was evaluated by the ambulance crew and refused transport to the hospital and by 1:20 p.m. two of three fire trucks and the ambulance had cleared the scene.