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Traveling southbound on Smith Ridge Road just past Canoe Hill, this vehicle crossed over the oncoming traffic lane and went through the stone wall into Hannan Field. On its journey, the vehicle appears to have disrupted power lines by knocking a pole-mount transformer out of place, causing more than 1,000 homes in New Canaan to lose power. Credit: Michael Dinan
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The crashed vehicle can be seen at right, the dislodged pole-mount transformer hanging down at left. Credit: Michael Dinan
Update 7:21 p.m.
Power has been restored to nearly all New Canaan homes, according to Eversource.
Update 6:38 p.m.
Eversource officials say they expect power in New Canaan to be restored by 8 p.m. Sunday.
Original Article
More than 1,000 New Canaan homes lost power late Sunday afternoon after a pole-mount transformer blew on Smith Ridge Road following a single-car crash.
A sedan traveling southbound on Smith Ridge Road appears to have crossed into the oncoming traffic lane just south of Canoe Hill Road, clipped a guy wire that flipped into the primary, then crashed through the stone wall and into Hannan Field, according to officials at the scene.
The accident occurred around 4:39 p.m., according to fire dispatch records. The transformer could be seen hanging down from a utility pole about 50 yards north of the intersection of Route 123 and Twin Pone Lane, near where the crashed car had come to rest. The top of the wooden utility pole appeared to have been blackened.
According to Eversource, 1,018 New Canaan homes—about 12 percent of the utility company’s customers in town—remained without power as of 6:05 p.m.
New Canaan Police closed Smith Ridge Road between Twin Pond Lane and Country Club Road. New Canaan Fire Department and New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps vehicles and members also were on scene, in addition to electricians.
The motorist suffered minor injuries, according to First Selectman Rob Mallozzi.
The total number of homes without power had risen to about 1,600 shortly after 5 p.m., Mallozzi said.
The first selectman is waiting on a timetable for full power restoration from Eversource.
NewCanaanite.com will have more information as soon as it’s available.