Car hits power pole on Chinden, knocks out traffic lights and power for nearly 500

The crash, which happened about 2:15 p.m., knocked out traffic lights and disrupted traffic, Garden City Police report.

A Mercury Grand Marquise driven by 71-year-old Reginald Coleman of Boise was headed west in the 5300 block of Chinden Boulevard when it reportedly accelerated rapidly and veered across several lanes, hitting a power pole and a large steel pole attached to a business sign, police said. Witnesses told police the driver appeared to be having a medical problem before the crash.

The impact knocked live electrical wires onto the top of Coleman's car, preventing emergency responders from accessing the driver, police said. By talking to Coleman, workers were able to determine he did not have life-threatening injuries, so they waited for Idaho Power to secure the power. Coleman was assisted out of the vehicle about an hour after the crash and taken to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Idaho Power estimates it will be about 7 p.m. before power is fully restored in the area, and in a 4 p.m. news release Garden City Police Chief Rick Allen advised drivers to avoid Chinden in the area for the next six or seven hours.

Allen thanked the numerous witnesses who stopped to assist after the crash.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Car hits power pole on Chinden, knocks out traffic lights and power for nearly 500."