Nearly 1,800 homes and businesses in Nanaimo’s Departure Bay area were left without power for more than eight hours after a suspected drunk driver smashed his pickup truck into a power pole Thursday.
The power outage happened at about 9 p.m. in the 3100 block of Departure Bay Road when a 37-year-old Nanaimo man crashed his Dodge pickup truck into a power pole, snapping off the pole.
The driver was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for examination, but had no known injuries, said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RMCP spokesman.
The driver was given an immediate 90-day roadside prohibition from driving and police impounded his vehicle for 30 days.
“Alcohol was involved,” O’Brien said.
Power was finally restored to the area Friday at 5:15 a.m.