WATSONVILLE — Two separate car crashes triggered a huge response from emergency crews, Caltrans and Pacific Gas and Electric on Riverside Road Monday evening and into Tuesday.
California Highway Patrol officer Sam Courtney said the crashes took place on Riverside Road between Blackburn Street and Lakeview Road starting at about 6 p.m.
In one crash a Watsonville man driving a white Ford Windstar crashed followed by another Watsonville man, who was driving a red Toyota Tacoma pickup. His truck plowed into a utility pole. The impact damaged the pole bad enough that a PG&E crew had to haul in a load of equipment to replace the pole and restring power lines.
The operation went past midnight and into the morning Tuesday. Officials had to shut down the heavily travelled Riverside Road altogether.
One neighbor on Lakeview Road came out to say he had lost power during the night. Other neighbors said their electricity flickered around 6 p.m. Monday.
By 9 a.m. Tuesday the road was reopened.
Only minor injuries were reported, Courtney said.
