A 49-year-old Salem man escaped injury after his car struck a street light pole in the 100 block of West Schwartz in Salem late Tuesday afternoon.
Salem Police say Mark Atkins of East Bennett veered to the right and struck the concrete pole knocking it and the electric line to the ground. Atkins was able to get out of the car on his own. He received some facial lacerations and was checked by United Medical Response, but declined hospital treatment.
The 100 block of West Schwartz was closed for about an hour and a half until a passing off-duty lineman was able to safely move the power line out of the street.
Atkins was ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
The crash occurred at 4:16 Tuesday afternoon.
