A fiery car crash over the weekend in Edgartown briefly cut off power for thousands of Vineyarders.
Edgartown Police reported that a white 2018 BMW M3, driven by Igor Gomes Goncalves — the sole occupant in the car — crashed into an Eversource pole at around 1:20 am on Saturday at the intersection of Meshacket Road and West Tisbury Road.
Goncalves is facing charges of negligent operation of a motor vehicle and marked lanes, according to a report from Edgartown Police.
The driver sustained no injuries, according to acting Edgartown Police Chief Chris Dolby.
Edgartown Police Officer Jeff Trudel wrote in his report that he could see an “orange glow of flames on the back of Morning Glory Farm” as he approached the Jernegan Pond Road area on Saturday.
“The vehicle’s engine compartment was fully engulfed in flames,” Trudel wrote. “The telephone pole that was struck was fractured approximately halfway up the pole, and was also engulfed in flames.”
Officers ran up to the vehicle and found it unoccupied, with no one in the surrounding area, the report reads.
Police reported that there were a series of small explosions before the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. “Officers blocked off the roadway and waited for the Edgartown Fire Department to respond to extinguish the fire,” Trudel wrote.
Goncalves left the scene, but later reported the incident to police at the Edgartown Police station.
The report states that Goncalves explained, translated by a friend, that a deer entering the roadway caused him to swerve and strike the pole.
Trudel wrote he returned to the crash scene to help with traffic control after handing Goncalves a citation.
JWL Transport and Eversource cooperated to get the vehicle parts off of the road. Trudel wrote that Eversource was able to replace the pole by around 7 am, and Meshacket Road was reopened afterward.
Dolby said in an email there was no indication as to what exactly started the fire. “The guy was very lucky, to say the least,” he said.
Priscilla Ress, an Eversource spokesperson, told the Times 4,800 customers were without power Saturday morning. Most of the customers came back online within five minutes. “2,100 customers experienced an hourlong power outage as our crews made repairs,” Ress said. “A final 37 customers had power back on by 7am.”
