A driver in North Carolina survived after their car was impaled by a utility pole, police said, describing the driver as “extremely lucky.”
No one was injured in the accident in Thomasville, located 70 miles northeast of Charlotte, on Friday morning, officials confirmed, as reported by Fox8.
Police tweeted that a parent had dropped off their child at a nearby school before the SUV crashed into the pole. The pole ended up smashing through the back window.
Single car accident on Salem Street near Winston Street. No injuries but extremely lucky! Parent had just dropped off child at school. Expect delays in the area for repairs. pic.twitter.com/RWRaIQ7d4W
— Thomasville PD (@ThomasvillePD) October 18, 2019
Photos posted by the police department show that someone hit the utility pole’s base, which snapped the pole, and then pierced a rear window of the vehicle.
A portion of the pole was located under the SUV, and the rest was dangling between the back seat and utility wires, the photos also showed.
Officials closed Salem Street from Winston Street to Lodge Drive, reported the Fox affiliate station.
Duke Energy said that some 241 people were left without power in the area due to the downed utility pole, Fox8 reported.
The driver wasn’t identified, and police didn’t say whether anyone will be charged.
Other details about the crash are not clear.
Fatal Car Crash Statistics
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, analyzing data from the Department of Transportation, there were 37,133 deaths from car accidents in 2017, the last year full data is available for. The deaths occurred across 34,247 fatal motor vehicle accidents. The number means 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.16 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, although those numbers can vary widely across states.
The highest deaths per 100,000 population were in Mississippi, which saw 23.1 such deaths, and the most deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled were in South Carolina, which saw 1.80 such deaths.
Traffic backs up at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza along Interstate 80 in Oakland, California, on July 25, 2019. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The majority of fatal accidents are single-vehicle crashes, the institute noted.
The Department of Transportation said in October 2018 that there were 37,133 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in 2017, a decrease of almost 2 percent from 2016. In comparison, there was an increase of about 6.5 percent from 2015 to 2016 and an increase of about 8 percent from 2014 to 2015. Pedestrian fatalities also declined by about 2 percent. While deaths in both categories declined, officials said more can be done.
“Dangerous actions such as speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence are still putting many Americans, their families and those they share the road with at risk,” said National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Heidi King in a statement.
“Additionally, we must address the emerging trend of drug-impaired driving to ensure we are reducing traffic fatalities and keeping our roadways safe for the traveling public.”
This article is from the Internet:Driver ‘Extremely Lucky’ After Utility Pole Smashes Through Car Window