Fullerton Man Dies as Car Hits Pole; Power Out 4 Hours for 1,300 Customers

A 42-year-old man was killed in Fullerton early Tuesday after he apparently lost control of his car and crashed into a utility pole, shearing it in half and causing a four-hour power failure, authorities said.

Juan Contreras of Fullerton was apparently driving east on West Orangethorpe Avenue between South Euclid Street and Harbor Boulevard about 2:20 a.m. when he lost control of his Jeep and crashed, Fullerton Police Lt. Jeff Roop said. Contreras was dead at the scene, Roop said. There were no witnesses to the accident.

The power failure affected more than 1,300 homes and businesses in the area south of Orangethorpe, said Steve Hansen, a spokesman for Southern California Edison. Power was restored to all customers by about 7:30 a.m., he said.