Nearly 400 customers in Ottawa’s Alta Vista neighbourhood will be without power until mid-afternoon Tuesday, after a car accident near the intersection of Smyth Road and Barnhart Place earlier this morning knocked down two hydro poles.
The power outage caused by the damage has affected 380 customers in the area, including many residences.
A spokeswoman for Hydro Ottawa said crews estimate they will have all power restored by 3 p.m.
Police are asking drivers to avoid the area, as some lanes have been closed, including the eastbound lanes on Smyth Road at Alta Vista Drive.
Photos posted to Twitter from the Hydro Ottawa account show the splintered remains of the poles strewn across Smyth Road.
No hospitals have been affected by the outage, Hydro Ottawa spokeswoman Rebecca Hickey confirmed. (The Ottawa General Hospital is located just east of the location of the accident.)
An Ottawa police spokesperson could not provide further details about the nature of the traffic accident, and said police are investigating what happened.
Traffic lights have also been affected, Const. Chuck Benoit said, and police will remain on-site until the power lines and posts are “up and running” again.
Ottawa Paramedic Services confirmed no one was injured but one person was assessed and released at the scene.