Man Arrested After Wreck Knocks Out Power To East Side Neighborhood

Police officers arrested a man under suspicion of drunk driving after a wreck that knocked out power to a section of East El Paso.

The crash happened shortly before 2:45 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Bert Yancey and East Glen drives. Police told ABC-7 that Matthew Ruiz, 25, was driving on Bert Yancey when he hit a utility pole, lodging his car between the pole and a rock wall surrounding the campus of Glen Cove Elementary School.

El Paso Electric crews worked with the fire department to cut power to that pole because live wires were on the car, making it difficult to get Ruiz out safely. Power was off to an estimated 2,100 residents in that area, including all the way to Pebble Hills Blvd. and Yarbrough Dr., until 4 a.m. The 150 residents in the immediate vicinity of the wreck regained electricity just after 6:30 a.m.

Ruiz is charged with driving while intoxicated and is in the El Paso County Jail under a $1,000 bond.

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