A motorist escaped injury Wednesday when his vehicle slammed into a utility pole, knocking some telephone lines from their perches and creating a hazard for other drivers in Orangevale, authorities said.
The crash on Hazel Avenue, near La Serena Drive, was reported shortly before 3 a.m., according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Evan Williams.
Phone lines ended up hanging 10 feet off the ground, creating a driving hazard, the sergeant said.
"They were not hot lines," Williams told Patch.
The driver was interviewed and sent on his way, Williams said, but the vehicle was towed.
He had been driving at "moderate speed," or fast enough to cause significant damage to the pole and the vehicle, Williams said.
Hazel Avenue was closed for the next three hours -- between Winding Way and North Winding Way -- as emergency crews worked to repair the telephone land lines, the sergeant told Patch.
Though news reports indicated the motorist fell asleep behind the wheel, Williams told Patch that the cause of the crash was still undetermined late Wednesday morning and it would be 48 hours or so before a full report was available.
All but the far right lane of Hazel Avenue were reopened by 6:45 a.m., Williams said, and traffic was still affected going into the noon lunch hour.
