Sneezing leads to massive traffic tie-up

Traffic on Route 9 was backed up for miles in both directions Tuesday after a van veered off the road and slammed into a utility pole at 4:25 p.m., bringing live power lines down onto the road.

Police said the driver of the van had a sneezing fit and lost control of the car, slamming into the utility pole. He continued through a fence and down the slope of a neighboring property before hitting a tree and coming to a stop. He was transported to a hospital with minor injuries, and was treated and released.

The force of the collision brought wires down on Route 9 west, forcing police to shut down the road for more than 40 minutes.

About 10 minutes after the initial accident, ladders on a truck traveling eastbound on Route 9 in the left lane got caught in the low-hanging power lines, forcing the closure of Route 9 east. Power was cut in the area for a short period of time while the repairs were being completed.

Police were able to restart traffic on Route 9 east by around 5 p.m. A short time later, at 5:10 p.m., normal traffic flow was restored on Route 9 west, too.

The driver of the van was cited for alleged failure to stay within marked lanes. There were no other injuries.