Update: The portion of Montauk Highway in Water Mill, which had been closed from Deerfield Road to Scuttlehole Road on Tuesday morning, was reopened around 1:30 p.m.
Originally: An accident during the morning commute on Tuesday shut down a portion of Montauk Highway in Water Mill, further backing up traffic for miles.
Southampton Town police said the highway was shut down between Deerfield Road and Scuttlehole Road, sending eastbound traffic onto already clogged back roads. Even ambulances are being told to use alternate routes.
The crash occurred around 8:15 a.m., when a Jeep struck a utility pole by the Speedway gas station, at the corner of Scuttlehole Road, bringing the pole down across both lanes of traffic.
"We heard something loud," said Kaye Quintana, who answered the phone at nearby Water Mill Lumber. Some employees went outside to see what happened. The driver of the Jeep did not seem badly injured, but the car was smoking, she said. The pole snapped, bringing down wires and blocking both lanes of traffic.
This article will be updated when more information is available.