Two vehicles racing through Urbana, Illinois ended their chase with a bang after one of the cars crashed into a power pole. The resulting electrical arc from the power lines above turned night into day for just a moment, then a portion of the West Urbana neighborhood lost power.
The road-rage incident apparently began several blocks away, where the two cars were involved in a minor accident, and then a chase ensued. After speeding through a stop sign, the lead car swerved and ran directly into a power pole.
After the crash, the two drivers began arguing, and the driver who struck the pole fled after her pursuer threatened, “I’ll beat the fuck out of you”.
The crash and electrical arc, which occurred in December of 2019, were captured on a nearby security camera.
Ameren Illinois repair crews were quick to respond, and had the entire pole replaced and power restored within about six hours. The operation was complex and impressive – the crew extracted the damaged pole while simultaneously inserting the replacement, and switching the lines over, all on a Saturday night.
