An exhausted driver heading home after working all night Friday caused power outage Saturday morning in Cedar City when he ran into a tree and it hit nearby power lines, Cedar City, Utah | Photo courtesy of Penny Richards, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — A power outage Saturday morning in Cedar City was caused by an exhausted driver heading home after working all of Friday night, according to police. The driver hit a tree near the Coal Creek Trail by Centennial Park Saturday at about 8:30 a.m.
“The driver wasn’t impaired, he just been working all night and we think he was trying to make the curve and just drifted off to sleep,” Cedar City Police Sgt. Tim Bonzo said. “The driver never actually hit the power pole. He hit a tree and it broke off a branch and then the branch hit one of the guy wires.”
Bonzo said it wasn’t difficult to fix for the power company, and people weren’t without power for very long. Bonzo estimated the time without power was around 20 – 30 minutes.
“But the crash did cause the streetlights on North Main and near the hospital to go out briefly,” Bonzo said.
Originally 2,174 customers were without power, according to the Rocky Mountain Power online outage map. The driver was cited for improper lane travel.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Photo gallery
An exhausted driver heading home after working all night Friday caused power outage Saturday morning in Cedar City when he ran into a tree and it hit nearby power lines, Cedar City, Utah | Photo courtesy of Penny Richards, St. George News
A driver was cited for improper lane travel by Cedar City Police after he said he was tired and crashed into a tree which caused a power outage in Cedar City, Utah
| Photo courtesy of Penny Richards, St. George News
Some 2,174 customers were temporarily without power according to the Rocky Mountain Power on Saturday morning, Cedar City, Utah | Photo courtesy of Penny Richards, St. George News
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie DeGraw is an award-winning journalist. For 25 years, she engaged in journalism, broadcasting and public relations. DeGraw worked for the Salt Lake Tribune, Associated Press and The City Journals. She was a reporter for a CBS television station in Twin Falls, Idaho. She graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Broadcasting.