A blue Acura SUV veered into a power poll on the corner of Austin Avenue and Guilby Street Tuesday night, March 26, snapping it in half and cutting power to about 1,500 residents in the area.
Coquitlam RCMP got a call at about 11 p.m. When they arrived on scene, they found the driver of the vehicle, a Coquitlam male in his 50s, who appeared not to be uninjured.
Police suspect alcohol was a factor in the crash, said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.
Coquitlam Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene with an engine and rescue truck at 11:20 p.m., and by then the SUV and surrounding brush had caught fire. The crews doused the flames and called in BC Hydro to cut power to the surrounding grid, said Dep. Fire Chief Sean Davidson.
Residents were without power from 12:20 a.m. to 5:56 a.m. while crews replaced the power poll and restrung the lines, said BC Hydro spokesperson Tanya Fish.
@bchydro ummmm why is the power out at north road in coquitlam??? Literally just going to bed need to set our alarm clock omg
— TiannaAvila (@TiannaAvila) March 27, 2019
