Single-Vehicle Crash Causes Widespread Power Outage

September 14, 2017 - A vehicle crash on FM 1645 East caused a power outage affecting a wide area of Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative (DETEC) customers Saturday, September 9, 2017.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Sean Smith, at 5:28pm a white 2001 Dodge pickup truck driven by John Richard Sparks, 73, of Nacogdoches was northbound on FM 1645 when the truck traveled off the roadway to the right.

After traveling for a distance off the roadway, the truck struck a utility pole head-on and snapped the pole in half causing power lines to come down on the roadway.

The Timpson Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the scene of the crash where they directed traffic at either end of the roadway surrounding the incident scene.

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash. Sparks was issued a citation for failure to drive in a single lane.

Many DETEC customers were without power until after 12-midnight.