Suspected DUI crash topples live power lines in Huntington Beach
A man suspected of driving under the influence was taken by helicopter to a trauma center Monday after two vehicles crashed into a power pole in Huntington Beach and became entangled in live electrical wires, authorities said.
The accident left thousands of customers without power for several hours.
Jeffrey Smith, 31, was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries and arrested on suspicion of DUI. Smith’s city of residence was not immediately available.
The other driver was uninjured, police said.
Huntington Beach police received several calls reporting a 6:40 p.m. crash where Ward Street and Yorktown Avenue meet on a curve, police said.
Rescue crews could not help the drivers from their vehicles until Southern California Edison workers arrived and shut off power to the electrical lines, which took about an hour, police said.
The crash caused more than 4,000 SCE customers in Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa to lose power for several hours.
It’s unclear how the crash occurred.
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