Sparks crackled and popped when truck driver Benjamin Chandler, of Carson, struck a telephone pole at Milepost 21 April 9, while traveling westbound on State Route 14.
“People said sparks were flying all over the place,” said Washington State Trooper Will Finn. “It sounded pretty dramatic.”
The incident occurred at 8:39 a.m. Finn said Chandler, 30, heard something pop. He wasn’t sure if it was a flat tire or something more serious so he made the decision to drive into the ditch. The truck scraped along the side of the road and left a 300-foot scar.
Finn said 18 people lost power when the telephone pole was damaged. No injuries have been reported and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Various crews responded immediately. They pulled the truck out of the ditch, towed it away, removed the old pole and replaced it with a new one.
