Police: Drunken Driver Snaps Utility Pole, Causes Power Outage

Much of the southern section of town was out of power for several hours overnight after a Bay Head man crashed his pickup truck into a utility pole, shutting down a state highway while repairs were  made, police said.

Lawrence Hesse, 50, snapped a pole on Route 34 north near Holly Boulevard around 12:30 a.m. when he lost control of his 2012 Ford F350, Sgt. Heath Bono said.

Live electrical lines were strewn across the state highway, where the arching power lines eventually tripped their breakers, causing the widespread loss of power, Bono said.

Jersey Central Power & Light crews responded. State Department of Transportation crews assisted with traffic control. Power was restored and the highway was reopened around 3:45 a.m., Bono said.

One lane of Route 34 will remain shut for the rest of the day: northbound between Lakewood Road and Holly Boulevard, Bono said.

Hesse was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, where he was treated and released. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, Bono said.