WOODSTOCK — Mother Nature played a cruel trick on the town police this Halloween. But what started as a scary incident had a treat of an ending, the town's police chief said.

At 9 p.m. on Halloween, a fallen tree-limb on Church Hill Road knocked out power to homes in the southwest part of town. Woodstock police and a town constable were the first to arrive at the scene where a utility pole had broken and was leaning over.

While they inspected the scene, a strong wind blew droplets of transformer fluid from a ruptured container on the pole into the officers' faces.

Based on information received from Central Vermont Public Service, the police initially believed the transformer fluid contained hazardous materials and fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene. Both the police officer and the constable were taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

However, the police were later told that the transformer contained only mineral oil and was harmless. The officers, who Woodstock police declined to name, were released from the hospital after a brief decontamination and examination.

— Staff and wire reports