Woman charged after crash knocks out power to hundreds of Guelph homes

A Guelph police cruiser appears in a file photo. (Submitted)

A Guelph woman has been charged with impaired driving after a crash on Wednesday took out a hydro pole and caused a major road closure.

Guelph Police said several people in the Woodlawn Road East area called to report a collision around 10:30 p.m.

When officers arrived, they found a wooden hydro pole sheared off and live wires laying across a demolished car.

A woman identified herself as the driver of the car. She had an electrical burn on her arm.

As paramedics were looking her over, they said they could smell alcohol on her breath.

The woman was taken to hospital and further testing revealed she had almost twice the legal amount of alcohol in her system.

Two passengers who were also in the vehicle refused medical treatment.

A 24-year-old Guelph woman has been charged with impaired driving and driving without a licence.

Woodlawn Road was closed in both directions through the night while hydro crews worked to replace the pole and restore power.

The estimated cost of the damages comes in at tens of thousands of dollars.