UPDATE: Drowsy Driver Issued Summons After Striking Pole and House

Barnegat police have charged a Manahawkin man with reckless driving in connection with an accident that closed a section of Route 9 this morning.

Travis Tobia, 22, was traveling northbound on Route 9 in his 2012 Kia Optima at 8:21 a.m. when his car left the roadway, struck a utility pole and came to rest against a home at 117 Brook Street, police said.

The collision severed the utility pole, which was suspended by utility wires in the middle of the roadway. Route 9 was closed in both directions for 3.5 hours until Verizon replaced the pole, police said.

Police later determined that Tobia - who was uninjured - fell asleep at the well. He was issued a summons for reckless driving, police said.

The Brook Street home had minor damage to the siding.  The Barnegat Volunteer Fire Company Station 11 and the state Department of Transportation assisted.