Collision with power transformer leaves Senita residents in the dark

Approximately 1,000 homes in the Senita subdivision were without power Sunday morning after a single white vehicle hit “a really big (power) switch,” as Jim Hartdegen, community liaison for Electrical District 3, called the box.

Hartdegen said power went out at approximately 4 a.m. but was fully restored by 7 a.m.

According to the Maricopa Police Department, a male drove his vehicle into the power company’s unit.

“(The car) hit the darn box so hard … it literally knocked the box from the wires,” Hartdegen said.

“It’s going to be a fairly expensive fix,” he said, adding that the entire unit may have to be replaced.

Fortunately, the repairs are unlikely to result in another power outage.

“I doubt we have to have another power outage to fix it,” Hartdegen said.

MPD Spokeswoman Officer Jenny Alsidez said the driver suffered minor injuries and, although “there were signs of impairment that may have contributed to the accident,” he was not charged.

The incident is still under investigation.