Accident on Columbia causes power outage
By Kyra Hoggan
Two women were sent to hospital and over 300 Fortisbc customers were left without power for hours this afternoon after a car crashed into a power pole on Columbia Avenue this morning.
“On March 25 at 11:08 a.m. Castlegar RCMP, along with EHS and the fire department were dispatched to a single vehicle accident that had occurred in the 2100 block of Columbia Avenue,” said RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew.
“The 42-year-old driver appears to have suffered a medical condition which caused her to lose control of the car, striking and shearing off a telephone pole. She had been proceeding Southbound and left the road to the right. No other vehicles were involved, and no one else was injured.”
“Both the driver and her 93-year-old passenger were taken to hospital – the extent of their injuries is not known at this time. Both were conscious on scene.”
BC Fortis had to attend and tend to the down wires and broken poles and traffic continues to be diverted around that area as of 3:45 p.m., but a Fortis spokesperson anticipated power restoration by 3:30 p.m.
Police are continuing to investigate, and if there are any witnesses to the accident, they are asked to call the Castlegar RCMP at 250-365-7721.
