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Nanaimo crash knocks out power to thousands

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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. 

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