Plainville man charged in downtown Plantsville crash

Photo courtesy of Southington Police Department

A Plainville resident faces several charges following a crash in downtown Plantsville Tuesday night.

Southington police charged a Plainville man after he was involved in a crash Tuesday night in the center of Plantsville. The intersection of West Main, South Main and Main streets was closed for four hours, reopening shortly after midnight.

Police said the crash involving a camper and parked cars was the end to a chase that may have started in Bristol. The driver of the camper, Michael Granger, 44, of Plainville, was operating a Ford E350 camper heading eastbound on West Main Street in Plantsville when he crossed over to the westbound travel lane and struck a parked vehicle. This collision caused another incident involving two other vehicles. The camper also struck a utility pole that knocked out power to the traffic light, according to police.

Granger was charged with evading responsibility, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to drive in the proper lane and driving under the influence. He was released on a $500 non-surety bond and scheduled to appear in Bristol Superior Court on Oct. 6.

Sgt. Charles Smedick, head of the traffic division of the Plainville Police Department, said that Granger had been charged in the past with driving under the influence.

The traffic light in downtown Plantsville was still out Wednesday morning; stop signs had been put there by police. Chet Potrepka, co-owner of the Plantsville Pharmacy, which is located within the accident scene, said his business did not lose power nor did any of the other nearby businesses or homes.