Three Local Teens Sent to Hospital After Car Crashes into Lovely Street Pole [Updated 11:20 a.m. Friday]

Update, 11:20 a.m. Friday

In case you missed them, you can read Thursday's follow and the most recent Friday article by clicking on the links provided.

Update 2:59 p.m. Thursday

When the car Canton resident Gary Wright, 16, was driving Wednesday night hit a Lovely Street telephone pole, the car split in half due to the impact, according to Avon Police Sgt. David Gannon.

Wright and Avon resident Michael Follert, 19, were rushed via Life Star to Hartord Hospital to be treated for critical injuries.The other passenger, Frank O'Connor, 18, was transported to the hospital via ambulance to be treated for non-critical injuries.

Both passengers graduated from Avon High School last year, according to office staff.

Prior to that, there were 10 accidents on Lovely Street between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2012, none of which resulted in injuries, according to police records.

One hundred CL&P customers lost power when the small car struck the pole, which has since been restored.

Update 1:40 p.m. Thursday  

Avon Police have identified the three teens injured in a Lovely Street accident Wednesday night. 

Gary Wright, 16, of Canton was driving the car that crashed into a pole in the 190 block of Lovely Street at 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday, police said. 

Also in the car were Avon residents Frank O’Connor, 18, and Michael Follert, 19, police said. Both are 2012 Avon High School graduates. 

Two of the teens, Wright and Follert, were airlifted from the scene by Life Star. 

Wright is a junior, officials said. 

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to him for a speedy recovery and to his friends and family," Canton Superintendent Kevin Case said. 

Case said he learned that Wright was injured early Thursday morning and the school district put its crisis team into place to offer counseling and support for staff and students. 

Upon hearing the news, about six of Wright's friends left school to go to the hospital, Case said. 

Update, Jan. 24, 2:55 a.m.

Three area teenagers were seriously injured when the car they were in collided with a telephone pole late Wednesday evening.

Avon police and the North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction Squad are still investigating the one-car accident that occurred in the 190 block of Lovely Street at 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said in a press release.

Lovely Street was still closed as of 2:23 a.m. Thursday between Helena Road and Blueberry Lane, but police said that the state road will likely reopen by rush hour.

Police have not released the names of the individuals in the car, ages 16 to 19, at this time. The families will be notified first and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

The 16-year-old driver and a passenger were airlifted via Life Star to Hartford Hospital to be treated for critical injuries, police said. An ambulance took the other passenger, who sustained non-critical injuries, there as well.

When the car collided with the telephone pole, 100 people lost power, police said. As of 2:23 a.m., Connecticut Light & Power had restored electricity to all homes but one.

Original Story

Three people were transported to area hospitals after a small car crashed into a pole on Lovely Street late Wednesday night. 

Two people in the car were transported via Life Star and a third by ambulance, said Chris Kunzelmann, assistant chief for the Avon Volunteer Fire Department. 

Their names and conditions were not immediately available.

Avon volunteer firefighters extricated two people from the car. 

The vehicle was substantially damaged and as of 12:22 a.m. Thursday, Lovely Street between Helena Road and Blueberry Lane remained closed as Avon Police continued to investigate the scene. 

In addition to personnel from the Avon police and volunteer fire departments, members of the Tunxis Hose Volunteer Fire Company from Unionville assisted at the scene. 

Connecticut Light and Power was asked to cut power in the area, affecting approximately 700 customers, officials said. At 12:28 a.m., that power was expected to be restored shortly. 

A neighbor brought coffee and hamburgers to the accident scene just after midnight for emergency personnel out in the cold.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.