Sentinel staff report–
Police closed down a section of Antelope Road near Rusch Park Thursday morning after an SUV collided with a power pole and left more than 25,000 SMUD customers without power.
As of 9 a.m. Thursday, Antelope Road was closed in both directions, from Garden Gate Drive to Lauppe Lane. Police advised drivers to avoid Antelope Road and access Interstate 80 by using either Greenback Lane or Riverside Avenue.
Acting Police Sgt. Bill Dunning told The Sentinel the incident involved a solo vehicle that collided with a power pole in front of Messiah Lutheran Church. He said police were still investigating the cause of collision and how the vehicle ended up in the opposite direction of traffic.
Part of the power pole could be seen dangling in the air, with the pole severed at the base.
Minor injuries were reported and at least one person was transported to the hospital as a precaution. Dunning said speed and impairment did not appear to be factors in the collision.
According to SMUD’s online outage map, the collision resulted in 25,373 customers losing power around 8:11 a.m. About 20,000 customers had their power restored within about two hours.
Update: Police said in an update Thursday afternoon that the exact cause of collision has still not been determined, but texting, distracted driving, speed and impairment do not appear to be factors in the collision. Both directions of Antelope Road were re-opened by 1 p.m.
Police closed down a section of Antelope Road near Rusch Park Thursday morning after an SUV collided with a power pole and left more than 25,000 SMUD customers without power...
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