By Sara Beth Williams–
Thousands of residents were briefly left in the dark Thursday evening after a vehicle crashed into a power pole at Sunrise Boulevard and Sungarden Drive, sparking a chain of traffic and utility disruptions across the area.
The crash occurred just before 8 p.m.., when police say a vehicle ran a red light and struck a power pole. The collision caused the pole to bend dangerously toward the ground, dragging live power lines with it. According to the Citrus Heights Police Department, the falling wires became tangled in a nearby tree, prompting a swift emergency response.
One person was trapped inside the vehicle and had to be extracted by first responders. The driver, who was conscious at the scene, was transported to the hospital with injuries described as minor to moderate. Police said DUI is suspected.
According to SMUD’s outage map, approximately 18,000 customers lost electricity for up to 15 minutes. Power was restored to all but 288 customers by 8:28 p.m.
The outage also disrupted Xfinity internet and cable service in the area. The company notified customers via text that service may remain impacted until utility crews completed their work. The company reported restoration within an hour of the incident.
Traffic on southbound Sunrise Boulevard was reduced to a single lane, while northbound lanes were closed and then reopened to one lane.
The collision is still under investigation.
