Man dies after leg is severed in power pole crash

An 18-year-old Fresno man was killed Tuesday night after he crashed his car into a power pole in southeast Fresno, crushing the vehicle.

He was identified by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday as Alexis Hernandez.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. David Salcido said the driver’s leg was severed from his torso. He was southbound on Chestnut Avenue, just south of Annadale Avenue about 8:20 p.m. when his gray Honda Civic veered into the west edge of the road and struck a power pole, Salcido said.

It’s unknown exactly how fast the driver was going, but “as you can see by the damage to the vehicle, he was traveling at a very high rate of speed,” Salcido said.

The demolished Honda Civic was wrapped around the power pole, Salcido said, and knocked power out in the area. A Pacific Gas and Electric truck was at the scene to assess damage to power poles.

Hernandez was taken to Community Regional Medical Center with major injuries. Salcido said the victim was unconscious when he was first taken to the hospital, but the CHP later reported he had died. A coroner was called to investigate.

Fresno firefighters helped to remove Hernandez from the vehicle following the crash. An early investigation of the crash did not determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Man dies after leg is severed in power pole crash."