Shoal Creek Boulevard in north Austin turned into an early-morning mess Sunday after a single-car crash knocked down electrical and internet lines and left a vehicle smoldering against a pole. Police arrested an underage driver on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, but everyone inside the car managed to escape without injury as crews shut down the road and moved in to secure the scene.
Midnight crash near Pinecrest Drive sparks fire and road closure
According to KEYE/CBS Austin, the Austin Police Department said calls started coming in at about 12:22 a.m. Sunday about a crash on Shoal Creek Boulevard near Pinecrest Drive. Officers told the station the car slammed into a pole and caught fire, but bystanders and the occupants were able to get clear before flames took over. The impact brought down utility lines, and multiple service providers arrived to assess the damage and deal with the tangle of wires.
Utility crews, safety warnings and repair priorities
Per Austin Energy, residents are urged to stay away from any downed power lines and to report hazards or outages through the utility's outage tools rather than trying to investigate on their own. The utility's online resources also outline how repair crews prioritize which lines get fixed first and how they work to restore power and other services as safely as possible while keeping both workers and drivers out of harm's way.
Road still closed as investigation continues
KEYE/CBS Austin reported that Austin Energy crews set up barricades on Shoal Creek Boulevard around 4:30 a.m. to lock down the area for repairs. Police told the station there was no estimated time for when the road would reopen. According to the outlet, there were no immediate reports of power outages tied to the crash, but drivers were being asked to steer clear of the area until utility workers could finish their checks and clean-up.
