Crash takes down phone service

Slick road conditions after a snowfall on Friday morning led to a wreck that took down phone service to an area east of Sisters.

A tractor trailer left the roadway on Highway 126 about two miles east of Sisters at about 6:30 a.m., plowed through fencing, took down three Qwest phone poles and damaged another.

The wreck blocked the highway all morning and obstructed traffic through the day as crews worked to restore phone service to 100 to 145 customers. About 50 high-speed Internet customers also lost service, according to Qwest.

Bob Gravely, of Qwest, said such incidents are "the cost of doing business," much like natural disasters such as downed trees that take down lines.

"We have technicians, and this is what they do," he said.

Phone and Internet service was restored by early evening on Friday.

Winter driving conditions remain potentially treacherous in the Sisters Country. Watch weather reports and delay trips if at all possible when bad weather is expected.

Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.

Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning - nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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