Man dies in Spokane Valley accident

A 50-year-old man died when the car he was driving crashed into a power pole in Spokane Valley Wednesday night. His 30-year-old passenger received minor injuries, a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said. The car had been headed west on Sprague when it crashed into the power pole on the northeast corner of the intersection with Fancher Road just before midnight. Medics tried to save the driver, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt, but his passenger was wearing one. It appears alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the accident, the release said. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the identity of the driver at a later time.