Poles Down!
Charges of reckless driving and two other motor vehicular violations were issued to the driver of the truck that interrupted business, traffic and collapsed several utility poles on First Avenue last Friday, June 23.
Both Police Chief Scott Reinert and Borough Administrator Robert Ferragina have praise and thanks to residents employees and volunteers for working together to prevent more serious problems immediately following the accident.
It was late Friday afternoon when a large boat being transported to the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Harbor on a trailer clipped a utility wire and took down three utility poles on First Avenue, a county road.
The two poles on the west side of the street were in front of Kunya Siam restaurant and the Strada restaurant. The third pole on the east side, was in front of Borough Hall. When the truck clipped the utility wire, it apparently caused the poles to snap and partially collapse.
Borough Administrator Robert Ferragina, who could hear the activity from his office in Borough Hall, immediately went outside to inspect what had occurred and noted that members of the Police Department were already on the scene and securing the street, diverting traffic and keeping pedestrians off the road and away from danger.
Fire and first aid volunteers immediately also responded, along with Highlands police, and tapes were posted across side streets to prevent access by both motorists and sightseers while police continued to access the damages.
The administrator immediately contacted JCP&L as well as Verizon and Monmouth County to alert them of the situation and all three, similar to the municipal reaction, responded immediately. Each had crews on site within minutes.,
Ferragina said Monmouth County officials and departments offered any resources the borough needed. “Our Public Works Department, our Fire Police, our OEM Coordinator Sara Weimer, as well as our Fire Marshall Marty Hawley, were all on site within minutes, “the administrator said, noting Mayor Loretta Gluckstein also immediately was on scene and kept aware of all the activity.
“The response, coordination, and collaboration among all of the emergency entities, the utility companies, our DPW, and the county could not have been more efficient and professional,” both Ferragina and Police Chief Scott Reinert said. “Had the response and collaboration not taken place so quickly and professionally the situation could have been terrible, with injuries and possibly deaths. “
The chief noted that Lt. Michael Zudonyi, Sgt. Jonathan Elmer, officers Timothy Funk, Erica Hoffman, Davi Cunha and Sgt. Brian Phair were on scene as well as himself. In addition to Highlands Police, who were on scene shortly after the incident, the Keansburg Police Department assisted with traffic control during the night after the incident while businesses were reorganizing, and power was being restored.
Both Reinert and Ferragina noted the borough First Aid Squad was aware of the situation and ready to respond. However, because of quick action, volunteers and professionals working together, and possibly a lot of good luck as well, “there were no injuries and no need for any medical attention.”
The damage to the borough included the three utility poles and the elements that were on them, as well as the area at the bottom of the poles where bricks are in place. Those bricks will be repaired or replaced as needed, Ferragina explained.
All three utility poles have already been replaced, including the one in front of borough hall which also needed some additional work.
The administrator said that luckily there was only minor damage to one vehicle and one borough light pole. Power was shut off intermittently by the utility companies throughout Friday night and Saturday morning.
“As Borough Administrator this incident effectively demonstrated to me the extensive training in emergency preparedness and response by borough first responders,” Ferragina said. “It also demonstrated the positive and professional relationship the borough has with the utility companies and the county. The most important aspect of the incident is the fact that there weren’t any injuries. Both Chief Reinert and I, as well as the mayor and entire council, are grateful for that as well as the preparedness everyone showed.”
The driver of the vehicle, in addition to reckless driving, was also charged with failure to exhibit vehicular registration and having unclear license plates. All charges are pending court action.
