Crash causes power outage in Vermilion, Lorain

VERMILION — No one was seriously injured in a crash that took out power lines along U.S. 6 on Monday morning. Vermilion police were dispatched to U.S. 6 near Baumhart Road shortly after 8 a.m. for a truck hitting a pole, with wires down in the roadway, Vermilion police Sgt. Drew Davis said. The driver of a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pickup truck and trailer had attempted to change lanes and clipped a 2007 Saab sedan in its blindspot, Davis said. The truck driver, Larry Pritchett from Tennessee, lost control due to the slick roadway and spun out, hitting the utility pole. The other car went off the road but was not severely damaged, and none of the occupants of either vehicle were seriously injured. When police arrived, Officer Nick Kowal told the driver and passenger to stay in the Silverado until Ohio Edison crews cut the power to the area so the pair could safely get out of the truck, Davis said. In talking with Ohio Edison afterward, Davis said if the pair would have gotten out of the truck without waiting, they would have been electrocuted. Pritchett was cited for improper lane change. U.S. 6 was closed until shortly after 3:30 p.m. while the crash was cleared and Ohio Edison crews worked to restore power to the estimated 500 to 1,500 customers impacted, according to FirstEnergy's website.