Suspected Intoxicated Driver Strikes Utility Pole and Trees

On Wednesday, September 3, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, EMS and the Pierce-Polk Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) received a dispatch call at 4:58 pm regarding a single-vehicle wreck on SR-135 involving a downed powerline draped across the highway. Upon the arrival of the Washington County Times, a Hyundai with extensive front-end damage could be seen with several small trees and even a utility pole destroyed alongside it.

“The subject was under the influence from what I understand,” said Pierce-Polk VFD Chief Jeffery Miller. “He ran off the road up there and barreled through all this stuff [trees and a utility pole] on the way down. He should not have been on the road.”

Once the vehicle was cleared from the scene, emergency responders attempted to reopen SR-135 to traffic with the power line still lying across the highway. However, as vehicles passed over the power line, it began to spark and caused a small fire in the ditch. Emergency personnel then stopped traffic once again to wait for Jackson REMC to arrive and take care of the line. SR-135 was closed to traffic for approximately an hour and a half, but it is now functioning as usual.

While injuries sustained by the driver are unclear at this time, he was transported via ambulance “to get checked out.”

Thanks to the fast response of the Sheriff’s Department, Pierce-Polk VFD, EMS and Wilcox Towing & Trucking, the scene was cleared in a timely manner without sustaining further injuries.

Below are more photos and a video from the scene.