A single-vehicle crash diverted traffic around a busy South Surrey intersection early Friday morning, while also leaving thousands of area residents without power.
According to Surrey RCMP, at 5:30 a.m. Friday, a sport-utility vehicle collided with a power pole at 24 Avenue and 148 Street, causing a power line to fall and a power ballast to blow.
The lone occupant of the vehicle, a 49-year-old White Rock man, was uninjured. Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash, said RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet.
"He was charged accordingly with a violation ticket," he added.
Paquet said there was "extensive damage" to the vehicle, and that RCMP, fire crews and city employees were on-scene throughout the morning, diverting traffic and working to restore power.
Power was expected to be restored to the area by mid-morning.