Hundreds of properties on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula were left without power for more than six hours on Saturday evening after a car hit a Stobie pole and cut the electricity supply to surrounding areas.
The driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries — but is expected to face court after checks revealed he had “never held a licence” and the SUV had an altered number plate, police said.
Emergency services were called to the scene at the intersection of the Yorke and Spencer highways at Minlaton about 6:45pm.
SA Power Networks said the vehicle brought down power lines when it hit the Stobie pole, instantly cutting electricity supply to 1,142 properties.
Power was cut to more than 1,100 properties. (Supplied: SA Police)
Affected areas included Minlaton, Hardwicke Bay, Bluff Beach, Parsons Beach and Port Rickaby. Supply was restored about 1:30am.
Police said the driver, a 40-year-old man from Munno Para in Adelaide’s north, would be summonsed to “appear in court at a later date”.
“The driver was reported for driving unregistered, uninsured, unlicensed and with unassigned plates and for driving in a careless manner,” police said.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Yorke Highway and Spencer Highway. (Supplied: SA Police)
Police said a 35-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the SUV, was not injured.
The electricity cut came after thousands of properties across the state had already lost power on Saturday amid storm activity.