Black Road Crash Downs Power Lines

A traffic collision late Thursday morning sent a vehicle careening into an electric pole on Black Road and knocked live wires into the street, Joliet police said.

It also left one of the car passengers with a broken hip and two others with minor injuries, Cmdr. Al Roechner said.

The accident occurred at about 11:45 a.m. at Black and Gael Drive when an eastbound car turning onto northbound Gael struck a car coming through the intersection, Roechner said. The impact caused the second car go into the pole, snapping it and bringing down the 12,000-volt wires, he said.

Despite knocking out the power and forcing Black Road between Rooney Drive and Homestead Place to close till about 1:15 p.m., the situation could have been far worse had anyone come in contact with the downed ComEd lines, Roechner said.

The driver of the car that caused the accident was not injured but did receive a ticket for making an improper turn.

As late as Thursday afternoon, ComEd crews were still on the scene and a truck was holding the pole in place.