Police say a man crashed into a power pole in Abbotsford on Sunday night and had to wait for hydro crews before he could exit his truck. The Abbotsford Police Department said an officer was driving on McCallum Road near Highway 1 just after 7 p.m. when he noticed a driver showing signs of impairment and attempted to pull them over. “The driver initially slowed as though he intended to stop but then accelerated and fled from police. Officers observed the truck drive over a concrete boulevard and continue swerving erratically, creating a significant risk to public safety,” police said, in a statement posted on social media. The officer followed the driver and saw them crash into a power pole on Laurnell Cresc., near Huggins Avenue, police said. “The impact caused the pole-mounted transformer to fall onto the hood of the truck and brought several live hydro lines down to the roadway,” AbbyPD said. “Due to the immediate danger posed by the energized power lines, officers were unable to safely approach the vehicle or arrest the driver until B.C. Hydro crews arrived and disconnected the power.” A spokesperson for B.C. Hydro told CTV News that crews were called at around 7:20 p.m. to deal with an outage affecting 19 customers, and worked with first responders to ensure the area was safe. “To safely complete repairs and replace the damaged pole, an additional 33 customers were temporarily taken out of service just after 3 a.m.,” Saudamini Raina explained. “Crews completed repairs and replaced the pole, and power was restored to all impacted customers by approximately 5 a.m.” Abbotsford police confirm the driver was stuck in his vehicle for approximately an hour. Police say the 49-year-old man was taken into custody and breath samples he provided measured “twice the legal limit.” As a result, police say they’re recommending charges of impaired driving, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration over 80 mg per cent, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, and mischief. No one was injured, but police said the incident could have easily ended in tragedy. “Choosing to drive while impaired is a deliberate decision that puts everyone on the road at risk. In this case, a driver’s actions endangered other motorists and caused significant damage to critical infrastructure. The consequences could have been far worse,” the AbbyPD said.
