Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Truck Clips Pole, Cutting Off Power And Closing Highway

A dump truck hit a utility pole Monday night west of Airway Heights, spilling power lines onto U.S. Highway 2, the Washington State Patrol said.

The highway was closed in both directions for nearly two hours, forcing traffic to be diverted.

Jason Becker was eastbound on U.S. 2 about 6:30 p.m., following the truck.

He said the driver “came around the corner and didn’t turn wide enough.”

The power lines crashed into Becker’s Mazda Navajo, cracking his windshield and snapping off his radio antenna.

“I thought he was pulling into my lane. So I moved over,” said Becker, 21. “Then I saw it coming down and there wasn’t much I could do.”

Neither driver was hurt.

The crash occurred when the driver of the Woodward Construction Co. truck, hauling a storage container, attempted to turn onto the highway from Rambo Road, said WSP Trooper Eric Koch.

The accident left some nearby homes without power for several hours, said Washington Water Power spokeswoman Susan Nielsen.

, DataTimes