Traffic lights along the main drag in downtown Athens went dark as the result of a power outage this morning. Firefighters responded to reports of people trapped in elevators as well. Power was returned to downtown by mid-afternoon.
The outage occurred at about 10 a.m. when a vehicle struck a utility pole, according to Athens-Clarke County police. The manager of an apartment building near the crash site reported seeing a transformer fall from a pole to the ground. The manger said his building was operating on emergency power, and there was no phone service.
The outage has affected traffic light along a five-block stretch of East Broad Street downtown, from Thomas Street to Pulaski Street.
“Police, fire, and power crews are in the area working to resolve the issue,” police said in a 10:12 a.m. Nixle alert. “Please slow down and use caution when traveling through this area until the problem has been resolved.”
This story will be updated as warranted at OnlineAthens.com
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