Update: Driver Blames Sun Blindness for Friday's Crash

More than 100 PG&E customers lost power and Chula Vista Drive was shut down on Friday after a man hit a utility pole, causing it to fall across the road and knocking out electric power.

According to Lt. Patrick Halleran of the Belmont Police Department, at approximately 3:40pm on Friday, Feb. 1, Belmont police and fire units responded to a report of a vehicle that had collided with a utility pole in the 1200 block of Chula Vista Drive.

Upon arrival emergency personnel found that a 2010 Hyundai sedan left the roadway and collided with a utility pole, shearing it off at the base.  Police say the driver, a 69-year-old San Carlos man, was shaken but not injured in the collision.

The driver told officers that he was westbound on Chula Vista Dr. when he became blinded by the sun. He then swerved to the right, jumped the curb and collided with the pole.

PG&E crews responded and had to stabilize the pole before the vehicle could be towed at approximately 8:00 p.m.

Chula Vista Drive between Escondido Way and Solana Drive was closed throughout the night as PG&E replaced the pole and restored electrical service.  In all, 126 PG&E customers were affected by the outage; 70 had power restored by Friday afternoon, however, 56 customers did not have electricity restored until Saturday morning, according to police.    

Read these other police and fire stories on Belmont Patch:

80-Year-Old Woman Struck by Car on Ralston Avenue

Belmont Man Arrested in Indecent Exposure Case

Can't-Miss Stories of the Week

Judge Sets Schedule for Hutchinson Murder Trial