Rochester man cited, reportedly on cell phone in Main Street crash into pole

Feb 1, 2013

A 46-year-old Rochester man was uninjured when the pick-up truck he was driving struck a telephone pole on Main Street just after 9 a.m. on Friday, downing wires and snarling traffic.

Wareham Police said Richard Rawlings was using his cell phone at the time of the crash, which occurred in the area of the CVS plaza. He was cited for negligent operation of a motor vehicle.

"Upon arrival, officers noticed an extensively damaged telephone pole resting on the hood of a Ford pick-up truck," police said.

Main Street was shut down from Elm Street to Chapel Street for a short time, due to low-hanging wires.

The impact of the crash shook a home located across the street from the incident, and pulled the utility meters from the house, neighbors said.

Police said some residences lost power for a short time, but the crash did not affect power at nearby businesses.