Utility Pole Snaps, Damaging Car and Cutting Power in Howell

A Howell neighborhood was without power for several hours Friday as power companies responded to the scene of an auto mishap that caused a utility pole to fall and damage a vehicle.

A parked and unoccupied 2007 Honda Civic was heavily damaged when a utility pole snapped and came through its windshield after a motorist inadvertently caught low-hanging utility wires with his truck, Howell Patrolman Scott Brooks said. 

Thomas Bartu, 57, the owner of Coastal Container of Bayville, was pulling out of a Lori Lane driveway in his 1997 GMC truck when it caught a low-hanging wire that ran between two poles at the curb-line of the home, Brooks said. After becoming ensnared with the truck, the pull of the wire caused a utility pole with a transformer to snap at its base, Brooks said.

The bottom half of the pole fell on the roof of the Honda Civic, while the top went through the car's windshield and badly damaged the interior of the vehicle. The Civic's owner, Robert Tilton of Galloway Township, was notified and family members responded to the scene, Brooks said.

Wires connected to the pole also fell on a nearby Jeep Cherokee, which did not suffer damage. There were no injuries.

The two power companies responded and secured the wires, necessitating the power outage for several hours. 

Brooks is investigating the incident. No summonses have been issued.