A man crashed his car into a utility pole on West University Avenue on Monday, causing major traffic backups on the busy road as well as power outages for about 600 nearby residents.
Lake City resident Darrell Brady, 52, was heading west on University Avenue when the 2007 Ford he was driving clipped the driver's-side mirror of a 1999 Mercury driven by Gainesville resident Thomas Mott at about 12:30 p.m., according to Gainesville police spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg.
Brady then veered into the eastbound lanes before hopping a curb and hitting a utility pole.
The pole was snapped at its base, though the connected wires prevented it from falling to the ground.
The 1.3-mile span of University Avenue from 21st Street to 34th Street was then closed as Gainesville Regional Utilities trucks repaired the damaged pole.
Brady was sent to Shands, Kameg said.
However, he said police expected there would be no life-threatening injuries.
Damage to his car was estimated at about ,12,000.
Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the accident, Kameg said.
Whether charges will be filed has yet to be determined.
As for University Avenue, Kameg estimated traffic on the busy strip was back to normal by 7 p.m.
Power for nearby homes was also down after the accident but was restored by 5 p.m., GRU spokesman Dan Jesse said.
