ROCKPORT — Traffic was being rerouted at the intersection of routes 90 and 17 as Central Maine Power repairs a downed wire that had trapped a Camden-Rockport school bus driver Robert Smith for approximately half an hour Thursday afternoon. Smith is now safely out of harm's way.

A CMP employee rushed to the scene and disconnected the wire, allowing Smith to safely drive the bus back to the Bus Barn in Camden.

Smith was traveling east on Route 17, nearing the intersection with Route 90, after dropping students off at home.

"I heard the wires fall on the roof," said Smith, speaking by phone after he took the bus back to the barn. "I stopped the bus, thinking it was a branch. When I saw it was a wire, I called Julie [Waters, SAD 28 transportation director], and she called emergency response."

He had already dropped off all students when, heading east on Route 17, a wire that spanned the road suddenly dropped onto the roof of his bus. A large limb on a weeping willow tree had downed the wire in an adjacent yard, and the bus happened along in its path.

Rockport Police and Rockport Fire Department responded to the scene, redirecting traffic through a parking lot and around Mount Pleasant, as the afternoon commute for many drivers was under way. A CMP employee rushed to the scene from Rockland to disconnect the power. CMP continues to correct the issue while traffic is rerouted.

"It was a good job on everybody's part," said Smith, who was going to head home and relax.

Reach Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657.