Drunk driver destroys utility poles near Academies of West Memphis

Nearly 2,000 residents left without power as driver flees the scene

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

Over 2000 residents in West Memphis were left without power Saturday morning after a drunk driver crashed into a light pole, causing signi_cant damage to the infrastructure in the area. The incident occurred

See DRUNK, page A3

A drunk driver took out several utility poles and then fled the scene on Saturday leaving many without power.

Photo by Candi Denise DRUNK

From page A1

at approximately 3am at the intersection of Oliver and Pierce, near the Academies of West Memphis.

The car involved in the accident was identi_ed as a late model silver BMW SUV, which ipped upside down and came to rest in a yard after hitting the light pole. Witnesses reported seeing several open containers of alcohol in the vehicle, indicating that the driver may have been under the inuence at the time of the crash.

Following the accident, the driver was assisted from the wrecked vehicle by an unknown individual before eeing the scene on foot. The West Memphis Police Department and utility trucks quickly responded to the incident to assess the damage and restore power to the affected residents.

Residents in the area reported power outages extending north of Barton and from Missouri to Clement Rd. The average person was without power for approximately one hour, with some residents experiencing outages for up to three hours.

“We have crews on stand by for this sort of thing.” said Head of West Memphis Utilities Bob Atkins, “We consider it an emergency anytime residents are without power and we had most power restored within an hour. We had two trucks on the job and are totally prepared to handle situations such as this.”

The incident has sparked discussion among citizens online about the potential need for speed bumps in the area to prevent similar accidents in the future. City of_cials have not yet announced any plans to implement additional safety measures at the intersection.

As of now, the investigation into the incident is ongoing, and authorities are actively searching for the driver who ed the scene of the crash. Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact the West Memphis Police Department.