Suspected drunk driver knocks out power, blocks big Lexington road in crash, cops say
Thursday morning got off to a rough start for some residents and commuters in Lexington, after a suspected DUI-related crash knocked out power and closed a portion of a major road, police said.
South Lake Drive was closed near Gibson Road, the Lexington Police Department said on Twitter.
Workers with Dominion Energy were also on the scene in an effort to restore power to the blacked out section of Lexington, police tweeted. Nearly 100 customers were literally in the dark as of 7 a.m., according to Dominion Energy.
All of the issues were the result of a crash that police said was DUI-related.
The driver was injured in the crash and was taken to an area hospital, Cpl. Cameron Mortenson told The State.
Information on the suspect’s condition was not available.
Pictures shared by police show a damaged utility pole knocked to the ground.
While South Lake is closed, officers are detouring traffic on Railroad Avenue and Parker Street, according to the tweet.
“There is increasing traffic congestion in the area so please avoid the South Lake Drive if possible,” Police tweeted, saying all drivers should expect extra time added to their commute.
Police said they are hopeful the issues will not cause major problems for drivers on the morning commute. The road was reopened at about 8:15 a.m., more than an hour after police originally thought it would again have traffic flowing.
Even with the road reopened, drivers should expect congestion to continue, police tweeted.
Power is expected to be fully restored to all of the customers in the area. by 10 a.m., Dominion reported.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 6:57 AM with the headline "Suspected drunk driver knocks out power, blocks big Lexington road in crash, cops say."
