Fallen pole shuts down Route 7

A wreck on Route 7 south of Ferry Road shutdown traffic for over an hour on Friday, March 3.

Around 2:15 p.m. state police and Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue were dispatched to a wreck near State Park Road where a 2010 Toyota Corolla had sheared off a power pole and a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee had gotten caught in fallen power lines wires, fire chief Justin Bliss said.

Courtesy photoA distracted and allegedly drug-impaired driver hit and knocked down a power pole on Friday on Route 7, shutting down traffic for a while. — Courtesy photo
A distracted and allegedly drug-impaired driver hit and knocked down a power pole on Friday on Route 7, shutting down traffic for a while.

Charlotte fire and rescue responders quickly stopped traffic and isolated the scene. Traffic was rerouted onto Greenbush Road while rescue responders worked the accident scene, and Green Mountain Power took care of the electrical hazard and removed the downed power pole.

According to state police, Aaron Grzych, 28, of St. Johnsbury was headed south in the Toyota, driving above the speed limit when he was “distracted by a portable electronic device” and drove off the roadway.

Grzych was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and taken to the Vergennes Police Department. He was eventually released on a citation to appear in court later on DUI and negligent operation charges, state police said.

The Toyota was totaled. The driver of the Jeep was from New Jersey and the damage to his vehicle was minor, the police report says. Neither driver was injured.

Besides Charlotte Fire and Rescue, Green Mountain Power and Vermont State Police, Vergennes Police Department, Ferrisburgh Fire Department, Shelburne Fire Department and AnyTime Towing assisted in dealing with the accident.

By 4 p.m. all responding units had been released.