Car Accident Knocked Out Power, Water, and Closed a Section of Route 156 in Niantic

Traffic along Route 156 was stalled for the better part of the day on May 10 when a section of the road was closed following a one car accident on Friday morning.

East Lyme Police say the driver was uninjured, but when the vehicle ran into a utility pole on West Main Street in Niantic it knocked out power to local residents and caused a water main break that meant people living in the area of Brookfield Condos had no water either. 

"Wires fell to the ground, sparks and fire. It turns out that the electrical current that passed through the ground caught the water line and caused a gasket at a junction to melt in front of 101 West Main St. Thus, it was a very exciting day in front of my condo all day Friday. Car crash, power lines causing fires, no electricity, no water. What fun... ," writes Lee Edwards on the Lymes Patch Facebook Page.

As utility crews from Connecticut Light and Power and East Lyme Public Works labored to fix both problems, drivers were diverted around Rte. 156 along a slow moving, albeit scenic route, from Huntley Court to Fair Haven. By about 6 p.m., utility services had been restored and the road was open again. 

Although one local resident noted that the water coming out of the tap was an ugly brownish color shortly after the water was restored, for the most part people were relieved just to have services restored. 

"They did a remarkable job of restoring power and water in just one day's time. Bravo!" Mary Kay Michaels posted on the Lymes Patch Facebook.