Utility pole busted in half by driver

NORWALK — An allegedly impaired driver hit a utility pole on Woodlawn Avenue, breaking it in half and leaving the area without power. At 4:16 p.m. Monday, officers responded to the crash and encountered Travis Grose, 35, of Norwalk. "We do not know how fast (the car) was going, but it was fast enough to break the utility pole in half," police Chief Mike Conney said. "He decided he was going to walk away from the scene. Officer (Justin) Fulton yelled for the male to stop walking, he looked back while continuing to walk away. Officer Fulton asked him to come back to him and he did." Conney said Grose told officers he must have hydroplaned, as it was raining, but Conney said he is not sure if that's true. According to the crash report, the vehicle went off the road and struck a telephone pole, snapping it in half. Grose was arrested for operating a vehicle impaired and failure to control. He was also issued summonses for possessing drug abuse instruments and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to the report. "What I can tell you for sure is he lost control of his vehicle," Conney said. "It wasn't his car that he crashed, he didn't have permission to have it at the time." Conney said there was enough evidence on scene to charge Grose because, when speaking with officers, he allegedly attempted to conceal a hypodermic syringe. Grose said he was uninjured from the crash. There was heavy damage to the front of the vehicle and was towed by Whites Automotive Services, according to the report. "When you have powerlines and poles damage that way, it's not a quick fix by any means," Conney said. "It's not like they just pull up, throw a new pole in and take care of it instantaneously, so it can be difficult." Ohio Edison was there for several hours repairing the damage and restore power. Acting fire chief Rick Perry said one of the biggest concerns when there's an issue with utility poles are wires coming down. "The biggest struggle for us is getting Ohio Edison on scene. Usually for Ohio Edison, to get on scene it takes at least 30 minutes or more," Perry said. "Our first concern is making sure the wires are not touching the vehicle, making sure the car is in park and that there are no fluids on the ground that's going to go into the sewer system or catch fire." Fire crew assisted with traffic control by blocking Woodlawn Avenue and directed motorists away from attempting to access the street.