Traffic along Main Street north of Middle Turnpike was snarled during the evening commute Thursday after an SUV struck a utility pole in front of the 7-11 convenience store.
Emergency personnel from the Manchester Police Department closed off the short section of road while members of the Manchester Fire Department Eighth Utilities District extricated the driver from the black Honda, which had turn on its driver's side in the middle of the road.
The identity and condition of the driver were not known late Thursday, however witnesses at the scene said that fire crews removed a woman from the vehicle and that she was speaking to emergency personnel when she was being carried into a waiting ambulance to be taken to the hospital.
No significant or long-term power outages were reported as a result of the damage to the utility pole, but drivers complained of lengthy backups along Main Street north and south of the accident scene and along secondary roads.
A towing company had to be called to right the vehicle to enable fire crews to secure the car before it could be towed away.
CL&P personnel and a contracted firm worked late into the night Thursday to remove and replace the damaged pole. The road reopened early Friday.
Check back to Manchester Patch for an update on the driver's identity and condition. According to Manchester Police, that information will not be available until early to mid-next week.
