Sentinel staff report–
Over 14,000 residents lost power and several lanes of Auburn Boulevard near Greenback Lane were closed down Wednesday morning after police say a driver suspected of being under the influence collided with a power pole.
The collision, which occurred around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, left dangling wires and a splintered power pole in the roadway. Police Sgt. Shaun Gualco said responding officers “detected signs and symptoms of intoxication” while assessing the driver of the vehicle involved. As of 8:30 a.m., he said the collision was still under investigation.
The sergeant said the male driver involved was travelling southbound on Auburn Boulevard in a Dodge Durango when his vehicle “veered off the roadway” and into a power pole. He said two other vehicles collided while trying to avoid the initial collision, but no injuries were reported.
As of 9:15 a.m., one lane of southbound Auburn Boulevard had been re-opened, with police estimating lanes to be fully opened by noon. Most residents had power restored within an hour of the collision, according to SMUD’s online outage map.
