TOMS RIVER, NJ – You might have experienced some internet problems Thursday morning in Toms River. That’s because a track clipped low hanging Verizon fiber-optic lines, causing a utility pole to snap, sparking fires.
According to the Toms River Police Department, on Thursday,at approximately 10:40 AM, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Hooper and Bay Avenues for a reported traffic accident with wires down. Roberto Olivasmorales, 39 of Hillside was traveling southbound on Hooper Avenue driving a tractor trailer.
“As he entered into the ramp for Bay Avenue eastbound, the top of the trailer was struck by a low-hanging Verizon fiber-optic line,” the department said. “As a result of the impact, the fiber line snapped from a utility pole and fell across both east and westbound lanes of Bay Avenue damaging a traffic signal and the hood of a vehicle that was waiting to merge with traffic on the ramp from Bay Avenue to southbound Hooper Avenue. Additionally, the force of the line being snapped resulted in three separate fires.”
Police said Toms River Fire Company and New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to extinguish the fires. Crews from Verizon and JCP&L responded to repair the damaged wires.
The initial investigation revealed that Mr. Olivasmorales was operating a standard-size truck and trailer.
“It is presumed the Verizon line was low or sagging for an unknown reason when it caught the trailer causing the wires to snap. There were no reported injuries at the scene and there was no fault was found on either driver,” police said.