Note: This story was last updated at 1:30 a.m. Jan 23.
A large high-voltage transmission tower was knocked down in a crash at Union Valley Road and South Illinois Avenue on Friday afternoon, causing widespread power outages.
Power went out in sections of Oak Ridge at about 4:30 p.m. Friday. Stoplights were not operating, and South Illinois Avenue was closed to traffic in a section north and south of the University of Tennessee Arboretum. Traffic was backed up for miles, and drivers were redirected to alternate routes.
A heavily damaged white pickup truck was at the crash site. An overturned Bobcat was behind the pickup truck.
The City of Oak Ridge said the pickup truck hit the transmission tower. The driver of the truck involved in the crash and a passenger had injuries that were not life-threatening, the city said. Both were taken to local hospitals.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
The City of Oak Ridge said crews were working to get power back up and running as soon as possible. At about 5:45 p.m. Friday, they expected power to be restored within the next two hours with the exception of the far southeast corner of the city, which may take more time.
It appeared that many homes and businesses had power restored within an hour or two after the crash, although some homes and businesses in the center of the city and Woodland neighborhood were still without power a few hours after the crash. Those stores and businesses included Walmart and the new stores at Main Street Oak Ridge. However, power appeared to be restored to those areas by about 7:30 p.m.
The city said its Electric Department phone lines were affected by the outage.
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