More than 100 Avista customers in Spokane Valley lose power after pickup knocks over power pole

About 115 Avista Utilities customers are without power after a truck hit a power pole in Spokane Valley this morning.

A man driving a Dodge Durango crashed into a power pole at the intersection of Maringo Drive and Farr Road at about 7:30 a.m., knocking it over and cutting off power to multiple homes in the area. Spokane Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Gregory said an initial investigation indicates that the driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

The crash resulted in low-hanging power lines touching the truck and a nearby home, said Spokane Valley Fire Department spokeswoman Melanie Rose. The man was not injured in the crash and there were no injuries reported as a result of the low-hanging power lines, officials said.

Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies were on scene directing traffic around the crash, Gregory said. Parts of Maringo, Farr and Garland were closed with detours in place.

Avista Utilities spokesman David Vowels estimated the pole would be replaced by about 1 p.m., but he said servicemen still were assessing the damage and would update Avista’s outage map as more information becomes available.