Bend DUII Crash Shears Power Pole, Shuts Hwy. 20
A Bend man was hospitalized and cited for drunk driving early Wednesday after his car left Highway 20 near the foot of Pilot Butte and sheared off a power pole, sending power lines down across the highway, shutting the road all night and knocking out power to a few dozen homes, police said.
Officers responded around 12:30 a.m. to the reported crash in front of Jim Smolich Motors at 1865 NE Hwy. 20, said Sgt. Todd Fletcher.
They arrived to find a silver 1995 Acura Integra 2D with extensie front-end damage, and power lines down along the sidewalk and across the highway, blocking travel in both directions, Fletcher said.
An investigation found that the driver, Michael Lynn Anderson, 26, of Bend, had been headed east on the highway when he lost control of the car and it left the road, striking a power pole in front of the car dealership and coming to rest about 100 yards away, the sergeant said.
The crash sent debris flying and caused minor damage to several cars in the Smolich parking lot, as well as some landscaping and a light pole, Fletcher said.
Anderson, alone in the car, was taken to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend with what police termed non-life-threatening injuries, including a broken ankle. A nursing supervisor said he was in fair condition at the hospital later Wednesday morning.
He was cited at the hospital on DUII and first-degree criminal mischief, Fletcher said.
Pacific Power crews responded to repair the pole and downed lines, which knocked out power to about 33 homes, according to utility officials.
Highway 20 traffic was detoured onto nearby roads overnight so crews could replace the power pole. It was open to westbound traffic around sunrise but remained closed to eastbound traffic into the morning commute. It reopened shortly after 8 a.m., ODOT reported.
