Vehicle crash knocks out power to thousands of Northshore, Kelseyville residents

By Elizabeth Larson | Jan. 1, 2019
A pickup crashed into a power pole on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, knocking out power to thousands of residents in Lake County, Calif. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News.


LUCERNE, Calif. – A vehicle crash involving a power pole on New Year’s Day morning has left thousands of Northshore and Kelseyville residents temporarily out of power.

The crash occurred at 11:11 a.m. Tuesday at Highway 20 and First Avenue in Lucerne, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A newer model red Chevy Silverado pickup hit a power pole on the side of the highway. The pole was broken in half, with one part leaning over and the other part suspended in the air, with lines sagging over the First Avenue intersection.

The CHP said the male driver was uninjured.

Firefighters and California Highway Patrol were at the scene of a pickup crash on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, in Lucerne, Calif., that resulted in a large power outage. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News.


Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reported that the outage began at the same time as the crash.

The outage is reported to be impacting 2,827 customers from Lucerne to Glenhaven and across the lake in the Soda Bay and Buckingham Park areas of Kelseyville.

PG&E’s initial estimate for the time of power restoration is 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

This Pacific Gas and Electric map on Tuesday, January 1, 2019, showed the areas impacted by a power outage resulting from a vehicle crash in Lucerne, Calif. Courtesy image.