The City of Athens blocked the right-turn lane and a portion of the sidewalk at the corner of Court and Carpenter streets yesterday after a tractor-trailer crashed into a traffic light post.
At about 2 p.m., a tractor-trailer attempted to turn right from Court Street onto Carpenter Street.
The tractor-trailer did not swing wide
said Larry Cross, concierge at Ameriprise Financial on Court Street, who witnessed the accident.
The tractor-trailer moved back and forth about six times before fleeing the scene, Cross said, adding that two people occupied the tractor-trailer's cab.
The traffic light post fell onto a nearby power-line pole when the tractor-trailer hit it.
Police requested footage from Ameriprise Financial's exterior cameras, which captured the accident, Cross said.
Two electricians from the city of Athens assessed the damage while two Department of Engineering and Public Works officials kept people from walking near the downed traffic light.
John Duncan, an electrician, said they would use a lift to remove the pole.
It takes a long time to get a new one of these Duncan said.
As of 5:45 p.m. yesterday, the right-turn lane was still blocked off at the corner, and the pole had been removed.
The responding Athens Police Department officer could not be reached for comment.
- Caitlin Bowling
1
News
31686a.jpg
A traffic light lays against a building at the corner of Court and Carpenter streets yesterday. The City of Athens Engineering and Public Works department workers Jerry Dowler and Steve Bails quickly blocked off the area after a tractor-trailor struck the light pole. (Alicia Fidler | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
