Power expected to be restored to Merced customers Sunday after crash disrupts service

According to Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Merced residents whose service was disrupted Sunday morning following a vehicle crash on East Childs Avenue can expect service to be restored before the end of the day.

According to PG&E spokesperson J.D. Guidi, initial reports showed that service to about 498 customers was affected Sunday morning shortly after a car crash severed a power pole in the 2600 block of East Childs Avenue.

As of Sunday afternoon, Guidi said that about 118 customers were still affected by the outage.

“At this time, we expect full restoration by 10:45 p.m.,” Guidi said.

Crews are working to replace a power pole in the area and are working as quickly and safely as possible, according to Guidi.

Service to the customers in the area was disrupted after the vehicle collided with a power pole and ended up in an irrigation canal, according to Merced fire officials. Merced Fire Department Battalion Chief Mickey Brunelli said the driver was able to exit the vehicle and was evaluated at the scene. It is unknown if the driver was injured in the crash, according to Brunelli.