Semi vs. car collision takes down power poles, closes lane in Puyallup
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- Collision between semi-truck and car downed power poles in Puyallup Thursday.
- Car driver arrested on suspicion of DUI; truck to undergo safety inspection as precaution.
- Lane closures and power outage affected traffic ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
A semi-truck vs. car collision took out power lines and partially closed the road near the intersection of North Meridian and River Road in Puyallup Thursday afternoon, according to the Puyallup Police Department.
An X post sent just before 3:30 p.m. advised people to take alternate routes around the area. Traffic has been reduced to one lane for drivers traveling eastbound on River Road turning north onto North Meridian, according to the post and Puyallup police spokesperson Kevin Gill.
Gill said the semi-truck collided with a car and pushed the car into a power pole. Puget Sound Energy is on the way, he said at about 3:40 p.m.
The Puget Sound Energy outage map shows 13 customers impacted in the area near the collision and that the agency is assessing damage as of a 3:35 p.m. update to the map. The estimated restoration time is 6 p.m. today, the map said.
Gill said that the driver of the involved car has been arrested on suspicion of DUI. The Washington State Patrol will do a commercial vehicle check on the semi-truck to check that the truck is in compliance with safety regulations, he said.
He said he would expect the scene will be cleared in a “couple hours,” but that the closure may “cause some significant traffic issues for the time being” because of higher traffic levels anticipated in the area on the Thursday afternoon before the Memorial Day weekend.
