Traffic was rerouted after the driver of a pickup truck lost control on Sooke Road and severed a hydro pole, bringing the wires down to the road level.
The crash, which happened on the morning of Dec. 16, near the 17 Mile Pub, blocked Sooke Road both ways for several hours. Due to live wires still hanging from the pole, as well as a leaking oil capacitor, the road was closed off entirely, with traffic being diverted down Gillespie Road in Sooke and Kangaroo Road in Metchosin.
The driver, the lone occupant of the vehicle, escaped with minor injuries. The airbags deployed in the truck, which wound up on its side at the edge of the roadway.
Sooke RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff McArthur said that alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Sooke Road wasn’t reopened until late afternoon, after B.C. Hydro and emergency crews worked to clear the debris and restore power in the area.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com