PHOTO/SUPPLIED
TOM TAYLOR
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A car crashed into a power pole on Greytown’s Main St on Tuesday afternoon, trapping the driver in the car and causing a power outage.
The power pole lodged on to the front of the car with the powerlines still attached.
Carterton Volunteer Fire Brigade chief Bryan Styles said emergency crews had to wait until the power was turned off to remove the driver from the car.
“There were three people in the car, but two had already got out,” Styles said.
A specialist rescue crew from Masterton removed the driver from the vehicle.
A police spokesperson said one person involved in the crash had moderate injuries.
The crash happened at about 1.15pm near The Big Apple store at the north end of town.
A section of State Highway 2 was closed from Hupenui Rd to Waihakeke Rd.
Police diverted southbound traffic down Waihakeke Rd through Martinborough.
By 3.40pm, the road was open with a temporary speed limit of 30kmh in place.
A Powerco spokesperson said that power went out for 479 customers at about 1.30pm.
“In instances of vehicles colliding with power poles and causing lines to fall, it is important that drivers and any passengers remain in the car. Powerco works with emergency services to turn off power and ensure it is safe to rescue those in the vehicle,” the spokesperson said.
“A field crew was dispatched to make the site safe and restore power to customers. They first had to de-energise the lines that had fallen on the vehicle so that the people inside could be removed safely.”
Power was restored to 400 customers by 1.50pm, with the remaining 79 customers reconnected just after 6pm.
Fire crews from Masterton, Featherston, and Carterton attended the crash while the Greytown crew was busy attending another crash further south at Bidwills Cutting Rd.
A car left the road near Morison Bush at about 12.55pm. The car went through a fence and entered a paddock.
The driver was taken to Wairarapa Hospital by ambulance.
