Crash closes Central Avenue

COLONIE — A driver who may have had a medical problem crashed his utility pickup truck into power poles on Central Avenue Saturday morning, an accident that resulted in the closing of the busy street in both directions and some power outages.

Police said the crash happened at about 8:30 a.m. when the 80-year-old Colonie resident’s vehicle collided with two poles on the avenue between Lapham and Red Fox drives in the village of Colonie, police said.

The driver was found unconscious and possibly in cardiac arrest. Officers and paramedics performed CPR and the driver was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital where he was in serious but stable condition later in the day, police said.

Police said witnesses told them the 2015 GMC 3500 truck was traveling normally along the eastbound lane when it left the road and drove onto a sidewalk, striking and snapping the power poles.

The truck continued across all lanes of traffic and stopped on the north-side curb of Central Avenue, police said.

It appears no other vehicles were struck, police said, and there were no charges currently pending in the incident.

The avenue was closed so National Grid could stabilize the power lines and replace the damaged poles, police said. The outages were restricted to the village.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Colonie police at 783-2744.