A single-vehicle accident sent one person to hospital and caused a power outage this morning (July 20).
A small van heading northbound on Beaver Creek Road crashed into a power pole just past the Beaver Creek Co-op gas bar around 10 a.m., knocking the pole across the roadway and trapping the driver.
“We kept people back until BC Hydro was able to come and de-energize the power lines,” said John Haley, acting captain with the Port Alberni Fire Department. Fire crews assisted paramedics in extricating the driver from the vehicle and the person was sent to hospital with undetermined injuries.
Traffic was detoured at Alexander Road to the south and Indian Avenue to the north. Power was cut to approximately 110 homes in an area bordering Pleasant Road, Alexander Road, Margaret Street and Josephine Street.
The hydro poled that was sheared off needed to be replaced, but there was nothing unusual about the procedure, BC Hydro spokesperson Ted Olynyk said.
Power is estimated to be reconnected by 2:30 p.m. according to BC Hydro’s outage map.