DUI Crash Knocks Out Power in Central Richland Friday

Richland Municipal Crews were busy early Friday morning, having to replace a power pole and restore service after a DUI crash.

  The crash happened near Van Giesen and Thayer Drive.

Richland Police said around 2 AM they were called to the 1500 block of Van Giesen, for what was originally reported as a car vs. pedestrian incident.

However, when they arrived they discovered no pedestrians were involve, but the crash was a DUI-related rollover, and 2 of the four persons in the car were ejected. The vehicle took out a power pole, dropping electricity for several blocks.

All four people were taken to area hospitals, two of them had crticial injuries. RPD says the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to negotiate the roundabout at Thayer. The car rolled, hitting a fence and then the power pole.

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DUI charges are pending for the driver, and Richland Police closed off several blocks in the area while power was restored, and to finish their accident investigation.