Nanaimo crash knocks out power to thousands
About 2,500 BC Hydro customers lost power in Nanaimo, B.C., on Thursday afternoon after a driver lost control of their vehicle and slammed into a hydro pole.
The single-vehicle crash happened around 12:15 p.m. on East Wellington Road just west of the Nanaimo Parkway overpass.
RCMP on scene say a female driver in her mid 30s was the lone person in the vehicle and was able to get out of the small SUV.
She was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital by ambulance. Her condition is unknown at this time but is believed to be non-life threatening.
Police add that the driver was heading east when witnesses told them they saw the vehicle come off the road and hit the power pole, resulting in it being sheered off.
A witness who spoke with CTV News says the driver seemed to be speeding at the time.
The crash initially left more than 2,500 BC Hydro customers without power. (CTV News)BC Hydro says the crash cut power to approximately 2,500 customers. By 2 p.m., electricity was still out for more than 1,600 customers.
Traffic is being rerouted while working is being done to replace the pole, which is expected to take several hours.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Singh 'not satisfied' with confidence-and-supply agreement, says he'd do a better job as PM
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's 'not satisfied' with his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it's shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.

Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan
Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to 'counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail' after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus.
Risk of a hard landing for Canadian economy is up, former Bank of Canada governor says
Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says Canada’s economy is at a greater risk of a 'hard landing' — a rapid economic slowdown following a period of growth and approaching a recession.
Millennials dominate insolvencies as credit card, student loan, CERB tax debts add up
Insolvency trustee Doug Hoyes says millennial Canadians have been dealt a generational losing hand as they face student loans layered with bad debts from credit cards, high-interest loans, and post-pandemic tax debt from collecting CERB.
Canadians view own country favourably but many unsure about Canada's system of government: survey
A recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found Canadians view their country more positively than Americans do, but only a slight majority of people in Canada believe their system of government is good.
'There's nothing left': Deep South tornadoes kill 26
Rescuers raced Saturday to search for survivors and help hundreds of people left homeless after a powerful tornado cut a devastating path through Mississippi, killing at least 25 people, injuring dozens, and flattening entire blocks as it carved a path of destruction for more than an hour. One person was killed in Alabama.
Officials: 2 dead, 5 missing in chocolate factory explosion
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday killed two people and left five people missing, authorities said. One person was pulled from the rubble overnight.
'Horrible, horrible deals': Trump criticizes Biden's visit to Canada
Former U.S. president Donald Trump shared his disdain for Joe Biden's visit to Canada, saying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau treats the U.S. ‘horribly’ on trade issues.
Declining suicide rates in Europe may be linked to increased preventative initiatives: report
Within the last decade the total suicide rate among European nations have decreased, according to a new report that says increased suicide prevention initiatives may have helped bring down this death rate.