A suspected drunken driver hit a utility pole in lower Puna Sunday afternoon, causing an extensive power outage and shutting down the highway between Pahoa and Kapoho for more than four hours.
The crash occurred shortly before 3 p.m. near the 4-mile marker on Highway 132.
According to police and Hawaii Electric Light Co. spokeswoman Rhea Lea, the vehicle sheared away the pole, leaving wires dangling on the roadway.
Google Maps (click to enlarge).
After the debris was cleared, the roadway was reopened at about 7:30 p.m.
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Lee said the outage affected 382 HELCO customers in the Kapoho area. She said a new pole was installed and electricity was restored to all customers shortly after 10 p.m.
Police said the driver of the vehicle, 38-year-old Timothy Wayne Torres of Mountain View, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and inattentive driving. He was hospitalized and not immediately charged.
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