November 6, 2024 9:20 a.m.

A driver apparently fell asleep, leading to his pickup striking a power pole on Tuesday afternoon.

A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office report said at 1:00 p.m. the 50-year-old from Roseburg was traveling westbound on Garden Valley Road near Fisher Road when the accident took place. The vehicle drifted off the roadway and hit the pole. His pickup continued after shearing off the power pole and bringing all the lines down across and onto the roadway.

Pacific Power responded and made the lines safe, and the driver was able to exit his vehicle safely. He was uninjured. His vehicle was towed away.

The accident resulted in the lengthy closure of Garden Valley Road in the area, with traffic being diverted around the accident scene for several hours while the power and other lines were dealt with. Pacific Power reported that just over 1,300 customers lost power. It was partially restored at 3:00 p.m. with 718 customers still without power. Power was fully restored at 11:15 p.m.