Car Hits Poles, Cuts Power to 4,500 in Brea, Fullerton

About 4,500 homes and businesses in northern Fullerton and southern Brea were left without power Saturday when a car struck three utility poles on Brea Boulevard south of Bastanchury Road.

Marshall Silva, 23, of Brea was arrested about half a mile from the downed poles and charged with hit-and-run, according to Fullerton Police Lt. Larry Lewis. Silva, who was arrested without incident, suffered minor injuries and was being held Saturday night in the Fullerton City Jail on $1,500 bond.

Lewis said that the collision occurred about 3:30 p.m. and that police blocked Brea Boulevard between Bastanchury and Panorama roads to enable two crews from Southern California Edison to clear fallen wires from the road and to put up three new wooden poles.

According to Ken Bellis, spokesman for Southern California Edison, a large number of customers were blacked out because there were two circuits on the poles that were hit. He said that power was restored to most homes within half an hour of the accident and that all but a few residents living on Barbara Boulevard in Fullerton had their power restored within two hours.

Bellis said that Edison personnel were able to reroute the power around the downed poles to restore service but that Brea Boulevard might not be clear for traffic until 2 a.m.