Wedged tractor-trailer blocks traffic

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Mary St. Andrews came down Congress Street on Monday morning, wondering why the Dunkin’ Donuts at Broadway appeared so busy.

She then looked again, and saw why: It wasn’t that the doughnut shop was busy, it was just that its parking lot had the best view of the jackknifed truck and trailer that completely blocked Broadway.

“I was like, ‘Oh boy,’ ” St. Andrews recalled in the shop parking lot. “ ‘He’s in a world of trouble.’ ”

“I was wondering how the heck they were going to get it out of there,” she added a little later.

The truck driver had wedged his rig between two utility poles, one owned by National Grid and the other owned by Verizon.

The incident resulted in Broadway being shut for about two hours as crews worked to get the truck unstuck. The road reopened just after noon.

The two poles, exactly opposite each other across Broadway, ended up being just far enough apart for the standard semi trailer to fit between. The end result was the back of the trailer against one pole, the other end almost against the opposite pole and the cab itself awkwardly turned at a right angle.

Exactly how the truck got in that position was unclear — and the identity of the driver and whether any citations were filed was not known. The regular police spokesman was apparently off Monday. Another spokesman only had basic information.

Helping in the delicate work of getting the tractor-trailer unstuck, and getting traffic flowing again on busy Broadway, were a tow truck and National Grid crews.

National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella said crews for the utility happened to be passing by and offered their services. The company’s workers held the pole steady with special equipment, while the tow truck held the trailer. The semi, unhooked from the trailer, then was driven clear. The trailer was then moved and the road reopened.

Damage to the National Grid pole itself was limited to some surface damage, Stella said. There was no need to replace the pole and no need to shut off power to anyone during the incident, Stella said.

St. Andrews stayed the whole time. She was among several people taking pictures of the scene with their phones.