Pickup Truck Slams Into Utility Pole Then Building, Knocks Out Power Along Route 17 South

A driver's crash into a telephone pole and commercial building prompted the response of the county's HAZMAT unit as well as local responders on Route 17 South near the Shell Station around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Emergency responders said the driver of a white pickup truck may have had a diabetic seizure, which caused him to crash into a telephone pole and then into a vacant commercial building on Rt. 17 South. The man, 60, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, authorities said.

The force of the pickup hitting the pole forced down another pole as well and electricity along much of that strip on Rt. 17 was out while responders worked on repairing live wires. The HAZMAT unit was called to clean hazardous material from the downed transformers. The DEP was also notified.

One lane of traffic was closed down in the late morning to early afternoon. Two lanes were closed later in the day as new transformers were installed.

This article was last updated late Tuesday night.