UPDATED: Route 1 Crash Open After Being Closed For Hours on Monday

Photo Credit: 7News/whdh.com

By ADAM SWIFT (Patch Staff)

Peabody, MA - Route 1 in Peabody was finally opened to traffic late Monday afternoon after hours of being closed.

Massachusetts State Police reported that a motor vehicle crashed into a utility pole just after 10:30 Monday morning on Route 1 southbound just before the jug handle in Peabody. The crash caused closed the highway for several hours, according to authorities, and caused delays.

Police said a 25-year-old woman driving on Route 1 southbound decided to pull into a car wash and pulled in front of a driver who then hit a utility pole, 7News/whdh.com reported.

Both sides of the highway remained closed at 12:30 p.m., according to the state’s Department of Transportation State highway officials estimated just after noon that the northbound side of Route1 will reopen around 1:30 p.m., while the southbound side of the highway will remain closed until about 4:30 p.m. Monday.

Wires were reported down on both the north and southbound sides of the highway, and the State Police stated that commuters should expect detours and delays as emergency personnel deal with the situation.