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THIS Mazda was damaged extensively when it crashed into a power pole in Pownall Street in Masterton early on Saturday morning. The driver was uninjured.
THE DRIVER of a car that crashed into a power pole in Masterton on Saturday, cutting power to more than 300 households, will have to foot the bill for the damage to the pole.
Masterton police found the car, a late model Mazda, on its roof after it crashed into the power pole on Pownall Street about 5am.
Police say the car was travelling south on Pownall Street, went through the intersection with Renall Street and, for some inexplicable reason, left the road and hit the pole. Police arrived to find the driver had left the scene of the crash. He was later found uninjured at a house. Power was cut for about an hour and a half to 300 households in the area.
A Pownall Street resident said the power surge caused by the crash destroyed several residents electrical appliances, including a toaster and television, and in one instance blew power sockets out of a wall. One of our neighbours lost the bulk of her appliances. I think its important that people know theres more than just a power pole that gets wrecked when this happens, he said.
Powerco spokewoman Jo Reader said today the driver would be invoiced for an amount upwards of $1000 depending on what equipment, such as a transformer, was on the pole. She said 17 of the 300 households had their power out longer than the others, so an inspector could visit each property and ensure it was safe to re-connect. Ms Reader said the damaged pole had been made safe and permanent repairs would be carried out over the next few days.
Meanwhile police are today continuing to determine whether the driver, aged 26, had been drink-driving.
Saturdays was the latest in a series of car crashes into power poles around Wairarapa most involving drivers aged under 30.
Last April, Patrick John King, 17, of Greytown, was killed when his car hit a power pole in Villa Street, Masterton.
In June last year a Masterton man crashed his car into a power pole in Clyde Street, and in October a student, 16, lost control of his car, crashing into a power pole in Fleet Street.
In January this year a Masterton man, 20, crashed his car into a concrete power pole at the intersection of West Bush and Boundary Roads. He suffered minor injuries but his passenger, 19, of Featherston, was lucky to survive after being thrown from the vehicle and sustaining spinal injuries.
In March the driver of a car ran off after crashing into a power pole on the corner of Park Road and Carters Line in Carterton.
And in May a Masterton woman suffered minor injuries when her car hit a power pole on High Street.
Less than a week later, a car hit a power pole on State Highway 2 near Carterton, breaking the pole just over a metre from the ground.
