Crime & Safety

Power Knocked Out By Drunken Driver In Westlake: Police

An SUV smashed a utility pole at a Detroit Road intersection, according to police.

An SUV hit a utility pole and knocked out power for parts of Westlake on Friday.
An SUV hit a utility pole and knocked out power for parts of Westlake on Friday. (Westlake police)

WESTLAKE, OH — A drunken driver crashed his SUV into a utility pole, knocking out power in parts of Westlake on Friday.

At 5 a.m., 911 callers reported hearing explosions in the area of Detroit and Allen roads. When officers arrived, they found an SUV parked atop a smashed utility pole. The top of the pole was suspended in air by electric wires, police said.

The driver was standing outside of the SUV, police said. He appeared to have injuries from the crash, and he told investigators the SUV rolled before landing upright and hitting the utility pole, police added.

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The driver was taken to St. John's Medical Center. Police said his injuries were not life threatening. He was later released from the hospital.

The driver has been charged with operating a vehicle impaired, failure to control a vehicle, and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Find out what's happening in Westlakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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