Chester PD arrests one after power pole crash

<span>A car accident Tuesday evening in Chester resulted in a Driving While Intoxicated arrest for a Chester man.</span>

<span>In a news release from the Chester Police Department, 53-year-old Ronald D. Clark was arrested on suspicion of DWI after his 1992 Chevrolet pickup crashed into a utility pole at the corner of Hacker and Oak streets near the Chester Eagles.</span>

<span id="docs-internal-guid-2e4f83ca-0d84-bbd0-128e-99205fea4cdf"></span><span>Emergency responders received a call at 8:20 p.m. for the report of a pick-up versus utility pole accident.</span>

<span>Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey said Clark was charged in the incident and taken to Randolph County Jail. Randolph County Sheriff Shannon Wolff said Clark posted bond and was released.</span>

<span>The impact caused the pole to snap in half two-thirds of the way up, with the top half dangling dangerously over the vehicle below, and brought down power lines along two streets.</span>

<span>"We got on scene and had a person in a truck with downed power lines around the truck," said Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert. "We made contact with the person in the truck and, once it was safe, went to the passenger side and helped get him out."</span>

<span>Power was interrupted for some Chester residents, while those in the area of the crash lost power completely.</span>

<span>"The victim was coherent," Bert said. "He was able to walk on his own unassisted to MedStar (Ambulance)."</span>

<span>Clark received only minor injuries in the crash and refused medical treatment at the scene, according to the news release. Bert said Clark was later transported to Memorial Hospital via MedStar Ambulance with chest pains due to the accident.</span>

<span>Clark is also the owner of the house at 1047 3rd St. that suffered extensive smoke damage in a laundry fire on Jan. 5.</span>

<span>Crews with Ameren Illinois remained on scene until 4:30 a.m. Wednesday cleaning up the mess. The utility pole has been replaced.</span>

<span>"They had to use the same hole because it's near a gas line," Bert said. "So the (Chester) Gas Department stayed on scene."</span>

<span>Both Coffey and Bert praised emergency responders for the smoothness of their response to the situation, which included evacuating the immediate area.</span>

<span id="docs-internal-guid-2e4f83ca-0d84-672b-0fe0-0b8abca9b785"><span>"Working and coordinating with the fire department in setting up a perimeter went really smoothly," Coffey said. "That's essentially what (the police department's) job was."</span></span>