EAGLES NEST TWP — A truck dragging a downed phone line sparked a five-vehicle accident that injured two, knocked out electrical power to hundreds, and blocked traffic on Hwy. 169 near Armstrong Lake, between Tower and Ely, on Tuesday morning.

The truck had snagged on the low-hanging line just as it entered Hwy. 169 from a side road and vehicles collided as drivers sought to avoid the line and other vehicles. The injured included Nicholas Wrobleski, 36, of Virginia, who was driving a Sterling box truck, and Bernice Sabetti, 62, of Virginia, who was a passenger in a northbound Toyota Highlander. No details of their injuries were available, but none were life-threatening according to the State Patrol.

Four others, including Alan Mosher, of Ely, who was southbound in his Ford F150, were uninjured. None of the other affected drivers were from the area.

The incident created a chaotic situation as southbound post-Fourth of July traffic piled up quickly behind the scene. Emergency responders, including the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the State Patrol, worked to get control of the situation as quickly as possible.

One of the trucks damaged a number of utility poles, temporarily cutting electrical service to 457 Lake Country Power customers in the area, according to LCP spokesperson Tami Zaun. Power was expected to be restored to all customers by Tuesday evening.