ELLSWORTH, Maine — Route 172 between Ellsworth and Surry was closed to traffic briefly Monday afternoon when a falling tree knocked power lines into the roadway.
The incident happened around noon when a property owner apparently attempted to fell or trim a tree on his own. But the tree fell in an unintended direction — possibly helped by strong winds — and knocked down power lines connected to a neighbor’s house.
As a result, that part of Route 172/Surry Road near School House Corner was shut down briefly until emergency response crews could safely open one lane of traffic. Bob Potts, spokesman for Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., said one customer lost power for about two hours.
Potts said the incident serves as a reminder that landowners, whenever possible, should hire professional tree trimmers to work on larger trees.