Police pursuit crash triggers widespread Oakland power outage
OAKLAND -- A high-speed pursuit in Oakland ended with an early Friday morning crash into a utility pole, triggering a power outage that had thousands of residents waking up in the dark.
The incident began around 3 a.m. in East Oakland. Officers were in pursuit of a Dodge Charger at speeds of up to 125 mph when it careened out of control and slammed into a power pole.
Video of the crash scene showed the Charger with heavy front end damage and the driver's air bag deflated. There was no immediate word of injuries in the crash.
But the impact of the crash knocked out power along 35th Ave. from just east of BART's Fruitvale Station to Redwood Heights neighborhood across I-580.
PG&E said nearly 6,000 customers were initially without power. Utility crews quickly responded and restored power by 6:30 a.m.
Oakland police have not released any details of the pursuit or if any arrests had been made.