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Drunk driver causes blackout in downtown Turlock
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A reported drunk driving collision caused a power outage in parts of downtown Turlock Wednesday night.

The collision involved one vehicle and resulted in minor injuries for the driver, identified as Olivia Gavidia, 19, of Turlock.

Around 7 p.m. Wednesday Gavidia was driving westbound on W. Canal Drive when she lost control of her vehicle after going over the railroad tracks. Gavidia’s vehicle struck a power pole with enough force to shear it off at the base, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Russ Holeman.

The vehicle continued moving forward, until it struck a wooden shed in the backyard of a residence in the 700 block of N. Broadway.

The power pole had several transformers attached to it and when it toppled over it caused a widespread power outage in downtown Turlock, including the Turlock Police Department.

The Turlock Irrigation District was called to the scene to replace the pole. TID was able to restore power to the police department and most of downtown within an hour of the collision. It took about six hours to get power back to the N. Broadway area, Holeman said.

A breathalyzer was administered to Gavidia and her blood alcohol level came back at .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent for of-age drivers. She was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.