Outage Suspected in Signal Malfunctions

A traffic tie-up at a busy intersection Sunday in Ventura was probably caused by a massive power outage that hit seven western states the day before, authorities said.

Victoria Avenue near Walker Street was backed up throughout the day as traffic signals that are supposed to get cars safely off the Ventura Freeway instead sent drivers into a stop-and-go panic.

Phone calls regarding the malfunctioning lights poured in to the Ventura Police Department all day, said a spokeswoman. There were no serious problems reported.

The outage that hit Ventura County about 3:45 p.m. Saturday caused problems for many Edison customers including airports, law enforcement agencies and businesses, authorities said. As of Sunday there were no other reports of problems related to the outage.