This story has been updated from a previous version.
A woman escaped injury when her SUV smashed into a utility pole early Sunday morning on the 100 block of Airport Boulevard. The woman was traveling eastbound on Airport Boulevard at 7:55am approaching Freedom Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, she veered across both westbound lanes, over a curb and struck the power pole. The impact toppled the pole and shattered two transformer containers, emptying a large amount of mineral oil onto the pavement. Power lines also fell across her SUV and onto the pavement.
Watsonville Fire and police arrived and shut down Airport Boulevard between Freedom Boulevard and Roache Road. The driver remained trapped in her vehicle until PG&E officials arrived and de-energized the 21,000 volt lines. The impact caused power outages in the area of Freedom Boulevard, Airport Boulevard and Green Valley Road. No injuries were reported.The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Officials said that section of Airport Boulevard would be closed to traffic for around eight hours for repairs.
