Police

Portion of Sound Avenue closed following single-car crash

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | A man was uninjured when he crashed into a utility pole on Sound Avenue Tuesday afternoon.

A man escaped injury after he fell asleep and crashed into a utility pole on Sound Avenue Tuesday afternoon, a family member of the driver said.

Police have closed sections of Sound Avenue while the wreck is cleared away.

According to Riverhead police, the accident occurred about 1:50 p.m. just east of Manor Road on Sound Avenue.

The unidentified man, was alone driving a black Nissan Maxima GLE westbound on Sound Avenue fell asleep at the wheel, the man’s nephew said at the scene. He swerved off the road and collided with a utility pole, snapping it and sending the top half of the pole through the car’s windshield.

The driver was not injured in the crash, police and the man’s nephew said.

As of 4 p.m. police are redirecting westbound traffic on Sound Avenue south on Herricks Lane, and are redirecting trucks traveling east on Sound Avenue onto Manor Lane, due to low hanging power wires.

A LIPA employee at the scene said they expect to have the pole replaced by Tuesday night.

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PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | Police have closed sections of Sound Avenue while the wreckage is cleared away.