Car Hits Power Pole, Triggering Outage in Santiago Canyon Area

ORANGE — About 1,750 homes and 150 businesses in the Santiago Canyon area were without electricity for 1 1/2 hours Sunday morning after a car struck a power pole and plunged off the road.

The accident also triggered a small brush fire that consumed about half an acre on Santiago Canyon Road, south of Jamboree Road.

Litha Vasquez, 27, of Modjeska Canyon was injured in the accident and later was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, the California Highway Patrol said. Vasquez suffered moderate injuries and was treated at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, a CHP dispatcher said.

The CHP said Vasquez was driving south on Santiago Canyon Road about 6:15 a.m. when her car swerved and struck a power pole.

The car then plunged down a steep embankment and burst into flames. The electric lines ignited the dry brush, the CHP said, but the fire was brought under control in about half an hour by Orange County firefighters.

The downed power lines cut electricity to homes in the eastern section of Orange and to most residences and businesses in the Santiago, Black Star, Modjeska and Silverado canyon areas.

Brad Martin, an area manager for Southern California Edison, said power was restored to most of the 1,750 homes about 1 1/2 hours after the accident. But some commercial users in the canyon areas suffered power losses well into Sunday afternoon, he said.