Nicole Leigh Graham, 20, of Ashfield, told police she was distracted by her iPod moments before the crash, which knocked down power lines, triggered another vehicle crash and closed a stretch of roadway for several hours.
AMHERST — A distracted driver from Franklin County was hospitalized after crashing into a utility pole on Route 116 near the Sunderland border Thursday, according to police.
Nicole Leigh Graham, 20, of Ashfield, told responding officers she was distracted by her iPod moments before the 4 a.m. crash, which knocked down power lines, triggered another vehicle crash, and closed a stretch of Route 116 for several hours, police said.
"It's still under investigation," Amherst Police Detective David Foster said, adding that Graham had yet to be charged with any crimes in connection with the incident.
Police said Graham was northbound in a 1993 Buick sedan about a mile south of the Sunderland line when she hit the pole, splitting it in two and sending power lines to the ground. A second motorist drove over the live wires and struck part of the pole but was uninjured, police said.
Graham managed to free herself and avoid the wires, but she reportedly sustained bruises, cuts and other injuries. An Amherst Fire Department ambulance took her to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, where she was treated and later released.
Traffic in both directions was detoured while public safety and utility officials addressed the situation.