UPDATE: As of 2 pm on Feb. 16, 2016, police advise that Mount Kemble Avenue (Route 202) remains closed between Macculloch Avenue and Doughty Street.
By Kevin Coughlin
A car struck a utility pole on Mount Kemble Avenue on Tuesday morning, knocking out power for about 1,600 people in Morristown and Morris Township and causing traffic to be detoured.
The motorist, Benjamin Horowitz, 63, of Mendham, complained of arm pain and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for evaluation, said Morristown Police Lt. Stuart Greer.
The accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near 51 Mount Kemble Ave., in the vicinity of Doughty Street and MacCulloch Avenue, and damaged an electrical transformer.
A little more than half of the affected customers were in the Township, said Ron Morano, a spokesman for Jersey Central Power and Light.
Within about 90 minutes, work crews had restored power for all but about 300 customers, nearly all of whom were on the Morristown side of the municipal border, Morano said.
Police advised motorists to avoid this stretch of Mount Kemble Avenue, which was closed for the utility repairs.
The driver’s Honda CRV was heading northbound, into Morristown, at the time of the crash, according to police. Horowitz indicated to Officer DeAnna Dietrich that he may have fallen asleep, Lt. Greer said.
Greer said the motorist will be charged with careless driving.
Did they honestly have to give him a careless driving ticket. This is ridiculous. It’s called an accident. He didn’t hurt amyone.