A semi truck driven by an Indo-Canadian trucker took out a power pole in Bellingham Tuesday afternoon and knocked out power to about 500 residents. Washington State Patrol troopers believe the drver Harpreet Brar of Surrey was drunk. After being checked out by firefighters, Brar, who luckily had minor injuries, was transported to Whatcom County Jail on investigation of driving under the influence.
BELLINGHAM – An alleged drunk Indo-Canadian semi driver cheated death when his truck sheared one power pole and skidded cab-first into another Tuesday afternoon north of Nugents Corner in Bellingham, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Harpreet Brar, 34, of Surrey, B.C., was hauling 30,000 pounds of rubber palettes south on Highway 9 when he took a left curve too fast at 2 p.m., said Trooper Keith Leary. The semi careened to the right and “sheared” one power pole. It skidded on its side until it ground to a halt – just as the windshield was shattered by a second pole, reported the Bellingham Herald.
The cab was littered with shards of glass. Brar was cut when he lifted himself out, but otherwise his injuries were minor.
Troopers are confident he was drinking alcohol, Leary said. After being checked out by firefighters, Brar was transported to Whatcom County Jail on investigation of driving under the influence.
Both lanes of traffic were expected to be blocked by one of the poles for several hours. Traffic was detoured.
About 500 people lost power in the area, said Puget Sound Energy spokeswoman Julia Highes. A replacement pole had to be trucked in. Power was expected to be out for at least a few hours. Some landline phones may have been affected too, Leary said.
On that stretch of highway, straightaways are 50 mph. The advised speed at the turn is 25 mph.
Nobody else was in the area at the time of the crash.
Leary wasn’t sure how long ago Brar had crossed the border but said it’s possible he picked up his load on the U.S. side.
In Washington state, the legal limit for commercial drivers is a blood alcohol content of 0.04.
