Police Chase Leads To Charlotte Crash, Massive Power Outage

CHARLOTTE, NC — More than 1,000 south Charlotte residents lost power overnight after a police chase that started on Interstate 485 in Pineville ended with a crash that took out a utility pole, according to reports.

The 2 a.m. crash occurred near the intersection of South Boulevard and Woodlawn Avenue, at Sterling Drive, according to WSOC.

All lanes of travel were opened within about three hours. Power has been restored to the area, according to a Duke Energy outage map.

The police chase began after a driver refused to stop for officers attempting to make a traffic stop for reckless driving on I-485, the station said. The car became mangled after slamming into the pole, however, the driver got out of the vehicle and continued to run from officers. He was apprehended by officers and taken to the hospital, WSOC said.

Officers later determined the suspect was in possession of marijuana and cocaine. He was charged with felony drug possession and several traffic violations, WSOC said.

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