Single car crash cuts power to 929

A rollover accident Wednesday night on Cape Rock Drive near Highway 177 disrupted electric service for 929 AmerenUE customers.

Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the accident and immediately called for first responders to special equipment to extricate the occupants of a Ford pickup truck. East County Fire District responded and Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded.

"From what we understand, he must have had too much to drink," said East County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Dwayne Kirchhoff. "He wasn't even at the scene. He rolled it through someone's yard, sheared off a utility pole. He was lucky to not get hurt or killed on that wreck."

He said a woman who lived near the scene spoke to the driver, an unidentified man.

'As first we thought he'd fled the scene, but then we learned he'd gotten a ride," Kirchhoff said.

Kirchhoff, who lives in Egypt Mills, is among those affected by the power outage.

"All we know to tell you the driver left the scene and we towed the vehicle," said a Missouri State Highway Patrol operator.

AmerenUE spokesman Mike Cleary said repair crews are working on the outage and have estimated electricity will be restored by 1:45 a.m.

To learn more about the power outage, call AmerenUE at 800-552-7583 or visit www.ameren.com.