'Lucky to walk away': Alleged impaired driver crashes into Saanich hydro pole
Saanich police say an alleged drunk driver is lucky to have escaped serious injury after they crashed into a hydro pole on Sunday afternoon.
Police were called to the collision around 4:20 p.m. Sunday in the 1000-block of Burnside Road West.
When officers arrived, the driver was found trapped in their vehicle with the utility pole collapsed overtop of the car.
First responders, including police and the Saanich Fire Department, took nearly two hours to safely remove the driver, since the utility pole was still attached to active power lines, creating an "extremely hazardous situation."
Once the driver was freed, police say they failed a roadside breath test. The driver was handed a 90-day driving ban and had their vehicle impounded, according to Saanich police.
"In looking at the photos from the scene it is quite obvious to see that the driver was lucky to walk away without serious injuries," said Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades in a release Monday.
"Not only did the pole land on the windshield of the truck, but several of the lines attached to the pole were energized with thousands of volts of electricity," he said. "A clear message on the inherent dangers and risks of operating a motor vehicle while impaired."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, Ontario police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for ‘oafish’ comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.