KITCHENER -- A collision in Kitchener's Wilson Park area on Thursday night was blamed for a power outage affecting nearly 2,000 customers.

Police responded to the crash at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Franklin Street in front of Wilson Avenue Public School shortly after 9:30 p.m.

They say the driver of a vehicle lost control, hit and knocked down a hydro pole, and then crashed into the corner of a home.

Hydro pole

Some residents tell CTV News they heard what sounded like an explosion, saw sparks when the hydro pole went down, and also saw a stop sign knocked over as well.

The car had appeared to also go through a fence before hitting the corner of the home.

Residents say it was a community effort to get the driver out of the vehicle, with others trying to redirect traffic until police arrived.

"At first there was smoke coming out of the car and there was gas on the lawn," said resident Rishi Patel. "Everyone was hesitant at first, because an explosion may happen, but the guys actually came and everyone came through.

"There were at least 50 people watching, trying to help, calling 9-1-1."

A 63-year-old Kitchener man was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle.

Regional police are asking anyone who may have witnesses the crash to call them.

Kitchener Wilmot Hydro reported an outage affecting 1,995 customers in the area, listing the cause on its website as a “motor vehicle collision.”

On Friday morning, the site was reporting no outages.

Some residents of the area tell CTV News they got power back around midnight, while others had to wait until 6 a.m. the next morning.

The affected neighbourhoods include Kingsdale and Vanier.

Emergency crews remained at the scene late Thursday night.