Crash closes Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township

By John Counts Crime and courts reporter

Posted on Thu, Aug 16, 2012 : 6:39 p.m.

This story was updated with new details about the accident on Friday at 12:04 p.m. There was also a correction made. SCP Enterprise is no longer in the building where the accident occurred. The business there now is Wolverine Office Interiors.

A traffic incident closed Ellsworth Road between Carpenter and Trade Center roads around 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Pittsfield Township Department of Public Safety issued an alert advising motorists to find an alternate route.

Update: Ellsworth Road was opened back up as of 8:36 p.m..

Pittsfield Township Fire Chief Sean Gleason said a female driving an SUV eastbound hit a utility pole in front of Wolverine Office Interiors in the 3400 block of Ellsworth at 6:22 p.m. The impact caused a 50,000-volt electrical line to become "unsecured" and dangle over the road, Gleason said.

"The driver, who is believed to have had a medical emergency prior to hitting the pole, was trapped in the car due to the damage," said a release from the Pittsfield Township Public Safety Department. "The vehicle was not in contact with any wires, but the pole was broken at the base and on fire."

The woman was freed from the vehicle by Pittsfield firefighters with the help of hydraulic rescue tools. She was transported to the University of Michigan Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to Gleason.

View Larger Map

Comment Now