MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A utility pole was struck by a pickup truck Friday morning in the Orange Mound neighborhood.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Southern Avenue and Semmes Street. FOX13 arrived on the scene shortly after 6:30 a.m. and found a pickup truck with severe front-end damage next to a utility pole that appeared to be broken. A tow truck operator worked to remove the vehicle while a Memphis Police Department (MPD) cruiser was present.
According to a Memphis Light, Gas and Water outage map, approximately 500 customers were without power as of 6:45 a.m. The outage appeared to be concentrated in the area of Orange Mound and Cooper-Young, where the crash took place.
The driver of the truck later informed MPD that he had been “distracted” at the time of the crash, stating he was talking to a passenger. He was subsequently cited for failing to maintain a safe lookout, police reported.
