Midnight Crashes Cause Havoc On Route 59

NANUET, NY — Two cars caused so much damage on Route 59 just after midnight Monday that the utility poles and overhead wires could not be repaired and must be rebuilt, O&R officials said.

Meanwhile, the road is closed from Forman Drive to Old Turnpike Way, Clarkstown police said.

First, one car crashed into a utility pole just on westbound Route 59 in Nanuet, knocking the pole, three sets of transformers and hundreds of feet of overhead wires into the roadway. A short time later, a second vehicle plowed through the accident scene, causing further damage to more poles and wires.

In total six poles were knocked down or badly damaged.

Though there were no serious injuries reported, the incident closed Route 59 in both directions. It knocked out power to 440 O&R customers.

"The electric system in this location was so badly damaged by the two crashes that O&R crews cannot repair the damage," said O&R spokesman Mike Donovan. "They must rebuild the pole line and electric system at the site."

O&R crews first re-routed power around the accident site to restore electric service.

The vital transportation artery remained closed in the vicinity of Old Nyack Turnpike and I-87 through the day as dozens of O&R overhead line technicians began clearning the damaged equipment from the scene and removing the six damaged poles.

New poles, transformers and wire are being trucked in from O&R’s nearby Operations Center, about a mile further west on Route 59. Then overhead line technicians must set new poles, hang new transformers and string new wire.

That work is estimated to take the rest of the day and evening to complete, O&R officials said.