Spectacular Crash Shuts Down Plank Road

A rear end collision sent two cars crashing into a power pole and fire hydrant on Plank Road in Fredericksburg yesterday. The crash shut down the road and cut power to the surrounding area for about an hour.

Police say that a Ford minivan driven by a Spotsylvania woman was stopped at a traffic light in the 1900 block of Plank Road when at about 4:50 p.m. it was struck from behind by a Pontiac driven by a Fredericksburg man.

The impact pushed the minivan across the intersection and into a power pole, snapping it in two. The lines crashed down on the minivan, causing power outages along Plank Road.

The Pontiac hit a fire hydrant, shearing it off at the base, before coming to rest on top of it.

Troopers from the Virginia State Police along with officers from the Fredericksburg Police Department directed traffic at intersections along Plank Road which lost power to the traffic signals.

Two patients in the minivan were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the Pontiac sustained more serious injuries. Charges are pending against the driver of the Pontiac.