Riverdale cops: 17-year-old crashed Jeep into pole

RIVERDALE – A 17-year-old crashed his Jeep into a telephone pole Monday, rolling the vehicle and creating a power outage in the area, Riverdale Police said.

At about 4:02 p.m. Monday, police responded to Windbeam Road after getting a report of a motor vehicle accident involving an SUV into a telephone pole, Lt. James Macintosh said.

Officers arrived on the scene and found a tan Jeep Grand Cherokee with extensive damage and a telephone pole snapped in half with wires still attached to the upper half, Macintosh said.

The driver of the Jeep, a 17-year-old, and a passenger were both uninjured in the crash, Macintosh said.

An investigation revealed the driver lost control of the Jeep while traveling down a hill on Windbeam Road, striking a curb and then a concrete retaining wall before hitting the telephone pole and snapping it, Macintosh said.

The Jeep rolled over once before coming to rest in an upright position, facing back up the hill, Macintosh said.

A fence and flower bed at a Windbeam Road home was also damaged in the crash, Macintosh said.

The driver was issued a summons for careless driving.

Crews from Jersey Central Power & Light, Verizon, and Optimum responded to replace the telephone pole and move the wires, Macintosh said.

While the road remained open, there was a localized power outage at that time, Macintosh said.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com