The 51-year-old Jersey City driver blew the light at the jughandle by Route 17 Nissan at 1:45 a.m. Saturday, Detective Lt. Michael Colaneri Jr. said.
His car "sideswiped another vehicle, pushing it into the telephone pole," Colaneri said.
The pole "snapped in half, causing the transformer to blow," he said.
The Jersey City driver and a Rutherford couple in the other vehicle -- a 45-year-old driver and his 38-year-old passenger -- were all hospitalized with injuries that weren't considered life-threatening, Colaneri said.
The driver who caused the crash received summonses for failing to observe a traffic control device and careless driving.
Responders included borough police, firefighters and EMTs, the state Department of Transportation and PSE&G.
Southbound Route 17 was closed for four hours from Franklin Avenue to the Wood-Ridge line.
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