Crash on Advance Lane leaves burning pole and arcing wires along Bethlehem Pike as police search area for possible driver
A single-vehicle crash into a utility pole in Hatfield Township triggered electrical fires and intermittent transformer explosions Wednesday night, prompting a multi-agency emergency response and a search for a possible driver who was not found at the scene.
The incident was reported around 8:30 p.m. in the 3200 block of Advance Lane, where a vehicle struck a telephone pole, according to initial emergency dispatch reports. The impact left the pole on fire, with a transformer reportedly exploding intermittently as first responders arrived.
Authorities said the vehicle involved in the crash was unoccupied, and Hatfield Township Police were seen searching the surrounding area for an individual believed to have fled the scene.
Emergency crews also responded to a secondary incident in the 300 block of Bethlehem Pike, where electrical wires on the exterior of a building were reported on fire and arcing, also producing intermittent explosions. Dispatch reports indicated the electrical hazard was occurred after the crash involving the utility pole..
Responding agencies included Hatfield Township Police, Colmar Fire Company, Hilltown Fire Company, the Fire Department of Montgomery Township, and Upper Gwynedd Fire Department.
Firefighters worked to secure the scene while dealing with the live electrical hazards as utility issues continued to cause sparks and explosions.
Information on injuries or the identity of the person police were searching for was not immediately available Wednesday night. Authorities have not yet released additional details about the crash or the circumstances leading up to it.
