ORLANDO, Fla. – A crash took out a power pole Sunday morning, causing road blockages and a power outage that affected over 400 people, according to officials from the Orlando Police Department. Officials said power has since been restored.
Officers said a driver crashed into a pole at North Forest Drive and Virginia Drive, in front of Harry P. Leu Gardens, just before 3:30 a.m. Sunday. That driver has been arrested for drunk driving, according to police.
Kelly and Joe Panton spent their Sunday morning running errands so they weren't sitting at home without power.
"We don't want to be in the house without any AC with a newborn," Kelly Panton said.
The Pantons said they were awake feeding their baby when the crash happened.
"It literally sounded like the AC exploded. It was loud," Joe Panton said.
A spokesperson for the Orlando Utilities Commission said initially 1,100 customers lost power. Crews restored power to majority of customers within a couple of hours. But several hours after the crash, there were still more than 400 customers who live by Leu Gardens without power.
"It flickered once and then it was gone," Joe Panton said.
Lincoln Wood was out of town and came home Sunday morning to no electricity. He hoped it would be a quick fix, but OUC said it takes time to replace a pole.
"Now I have to wait to get all my electricity back and have to be careful, leave all the doors closed because it's going to get hot," Wood said.
Some residents called this an inconvenience and said there is no excuse for drunk driving.
"There's Uber and all the other taxis. You can leave your car and get a ride home," Wood said.
This is a developing story. Stay with News 6/ClickOrlando for updates.