Covered by a thick misty haze, late Friday night in Salisbury was struck with a fatal tragedy when a vehicle smashed into a utility pole, causing traffic lights and power in the surrounding area to go out.
Salisbury Police say one person died as a result of the crash, with another left in critical condition. All those in the vehicle were juveniles and the driver has been arrested, according to police.
About 12:30 a.m., two short bursts of colorful flashes resembling lightning could be seen from the area.
At the source of this light was a badly wrecked car, a damaged pole, bystanders saying things to one another like “get him out” and the sirens of approaching first-responders.
The accident took place near the intersection of South Salisbury Boulevard and Lloyd Street, in close proximity to the Sage Diner, less than a mile from the Salisbury University campus.
Businesses in the Salisbury area including Cookout, Domino's and others lost power. One Domino's employee, Tayon, mentioned how the crash-induced power outage affected the location.
“We had no power at all. We had to move all our stuff that’s supposed to be refrigerated to another location, and [had to] bring it back this morning,” Tayon said.
The damaged utility pole and power lines were repaired this morning, allowing for businesses in the affected area to reopen and for traffic lights to resume function. Unfortunately, the life lost in the accident will forever be gone.
Lauren Gray, an SU freshman who witnessed the direct aftermath of the crash while on a night drive, was shocked by what she saw.
“Before we drove up to it, I saw two really big flashes of green light that both lasted a few seconds,” Gray said. “When we got there I saw a car that [had] crashed into a pole, people running over to the car and yelling to get them out of it.”
By COLIN MCEVERS
Office Manager
Featured images courtesy of Colin McEvers