Los Altos police continue to search for the perpetrator of a hit-and-run who collided with a power pole at the intersection of Covington Road and Campbell Avenue Saturday, an incident that left more than 800 households without electricity for about an hour.
“At this point, no suspects have been apprehended and the investigation to identify them is ongoing,” Sgt. Liz Checke said.
The driver was initially pulled over at 9:06 p.m. at the intersection of Covington and South Springer roads for a vehicle code violation but fled the scene, according to Checke. Officers didn’t pursue the vehicle because the suspect was driving recklessly before colliding with the power pole.
“The collision caused the transformer to explode. … After the collision, the vehicle was disabled and the occupant fled on foot,” she said. “Due to unsafe conditions and the possibility of live electrical wires (for) people in the area, resources were used to sort of maintain the safety of that area where the vehicle crashed.”
An officer was treated for possible electric shock after the incident but has since returned to work, Checke reported.
Residents in the area took to Nextdoor after the incident and subsequent power outages.
“We and all our neighbors lost our lights but were very confused since it didn’t look like it was weather induced,” wrote Covington resident Gaurav Jain. “This makes a lot more sense.”
PG&E reported 864 customers without power due to the incident.
