By Jason Emerson
editor
On Monday morning June 27, an apparent tractor accident on Delphi Road in New Woodstock caused a power outage leaving more than 100 residents along the road without lights or internet for some of the day.
According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, a farm tractor was heading westbound on Delphi Road, about 1.5 miles east of Route 13, at 10:40 a.m. It was pulling a mowing attachment with the mowing “arms” in an upward position when it got caught up on low hanging wires. Both telephone line and power lines came down as a result, said Undersheriff John Ball.
Delphi Road resident Dan Tennant said New Woodstock farmer Jim Holmes was driving the tractor and the collision caused two telephone poles to break off. “Live wires created a dangerous situation,” Tennant said.
One witness said she saw sparks on the road and Holmes stayed in the tractor’s cab until the New Woodstock Fire Department, a Madison County sheriff as well as work crews from National Grid arrived.
According to National Grid Senior Media Relations Representative Virginia Limmiatis, 110 customers were without power due to the accident in which one telephone pole had to be replaced. Power was restored to half of the affected customers by noon and to the other half of affected customers by 5:30 p.m. Limmiatis said.
New Woodstock Fire Chief Ron Fazio said no one was injured in the accident.
