BONNYVILLE – More information has been made available following a brief but major power outage that occurred in the Town of Bonnyville around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3.
“A semi-truck driver collided with a power line on 50 Avenue near 56 Street in Bonnyville causing a flash and small explosion resulting in a brief major power outage,” according to Bonnyville RCMP.
While the driver of the semi-truck is alleged to have left the scene, police say witnesses noted the company name on the side of the truck, giving RCMP the ability to track down the registered owner and assist in identifying who the driver was.
A 61-year-old from Grimshaw, Atla., was located and charged with failing to remain at the scene of a collision, which came with a $405 fine. The driver was also charged with operating a semi-trailer without a proper permit, another $324 fine.
According to Regional Fire Chief Dan Heney, when crews arrived at the scene Tuesday evening, they found power lines and communications lines on the road.
While the power outage was brief for many residents, portions of the town’s businesses lacked electricity and communications capability until later the following day.
Crews from ATCO, TELUS and Eastlink worked to repair the damaged equipment.
