MARTINEZ, Calif. – A truck ended on its side after its driver crashed and snapped a power pole on Pacheco Boulevard near California Highway Patrol shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday. That forced what California Highway Patrol called a “hard closure” of streets until repairs could be made and the vehicle could be removed.
The driver appears to have been unhurt, said Officer Brandon Correia. However, the 89-year-old man was taken to a hospital for observation, he said.
The man was driving a silver Toyota Tacoma south on Pacheco Boulevard when he veered into oncoming traffic and collided into the power pole, Correia said. No one else was in the truck, and no other vehicles were involved in the accident, he said.
The man does not remember losing control of his vehicle, but appears to have been unimpaired, and no charges are expected to be filed, Correia said.
A Pacific Gas and Electric notice said multiple utility customers lost electricity service when the truck struck the pole, which pulled down power lines as it fell. Power was expected to be restored early Friday. AT&T also had to deal with live lines disturbed when the pole fell, Correia said.
Contra Costa County Public Works Department closed Pacheco Boulevard at Blum Road and Arnold Drive, said Steve Padilla, public information officer. That allowed emergency responders, a tow vehicle and the utility workers to clear the wires and remove the truck. Traffic also was impacted heavily by the street closures, Correia said.
