Car crash knocks out power to hundreds of homes, businesses in central Fresno
About two dozen homes and businesses in central Fresno remained without electricity Saturday afternoon, hours after a driver demolished a utility pole on Blackstone Avenue south of McKinley Avenue.
The crash occurred shortly after 8 a.m. when the driver of a white two-door coupe heading east on Pine Avenue drove through a stop sign at Blackstone and struck the pole along the east side of Blackstone.
It was initially reported as a hit-and-run, but the driver was found by officers only a short distance from the car, Fresno Police Department Sgt. James Fowler said.
Live power lines were down on the street as a result of the crash. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. crews responded to tend to the power lines.
PG&E’s website indicated that power was disrupted for several hours to as many as 626 residential and business customers in an area east and west of Blackstone Avenue south of McKinley Avenue.
As of noon, PG&E reported that power was restored to all but 28 customers. Electricity was expected to be back in service to those homes and businesses by 9 p.m. Saturday.
Fowler said the driver was not intoxicated, but that he told officers he had fallen asleep behind the wheel of the car. No arrest was made nor was one planned, Fowler added.
This story was originally published June 12, 2021 at 12:45 PM.
