FERNDALE, Wash. — Puget Sound Energy customers near the scene of a vehicle vs pole crash last night were without power for much of this morning.
First responders were dispatched to a report of a single vehicle that had crashed into a power pole in the 6200 block of Church Road this morning, March 22nd, about 12:30am. Whatcom County Fire District 7 (WCFD7) personnel were dispatched. The driver was assessed at the scene but refused transport according to WCFD7 Division Chief Ben Boyko.
Boyko said the pole was sheared at the bottom while remaining suspended by connected power lines.
According to PSE, 38 customers in the immediate area of the crash remained without power as of 7am morning while repairs to the pole were underway. Power was restored before 8am according to PSE.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater identified the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle as 45-year-old Andrew Koch from Ferndale. Koch had driven the grey 2015 Toyota Tundra off of the roadway and collided with a telephone pole according to Slater.
Koch failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for suspicion of driving while under the influence and booked into Whatcom County Jail.