LAGUNA NIGUEL : Hit-Run Accident Blamed for Outage
A hit-and-run driver demolished a voltage box near the El Niguel Country Club early Wednesday, leaving about 1,600 residences without power through the afternoon.
Homes near the accident site remained dark for about 14 hours until San Diego Gas & Electric work crews restored electricity.
Police responded to reports of the accident at Greens East Drive and Club House Drive at 1:51 a.m., but did not find the vehicle. San Diego Gas & Electric workers dispatched to the scene discovered a badly damaged voltage box and three Ford hubcaps.
“It’s a mystery car,” said Tom Larimore, an SDG&E; spokesman. “We have no idea who did it.”
The voltage box, also known as a terminal box, contains the connecting points for the area’s underground power cable system. The collision disturbed connections along the underground lines, and workers spent much of the day identifying and replacing the damaged lines, Larimore said.
A damage estimate was unavailable, but overtime alone would make repairing the power cables expensive, Larimore said.
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