Providence Road wreck causes area power outage

An estimated 560 south Charlotte homes and businesses were temporarily without power, Feb. 2, after a vehicle hit two utility poles along Providence Road. At 6:36 a.m., 53-year-old Nance Lynn Woods was traveling in the left-hand, inbound lane of Providence Road when she saw what she believed was black ice. To avoid the potential hazard, Woods said she swerved her vehicle into the oncoming traffic lane, overestimating the distance and causing her car to go off the road. The vehicle traveled until it hit a utility pole, near the intersection of Providence and Westbury roads, breaking the pole and totaling Woods’ car. The impact didn’t slow the car down enough, however, and it continued forward, hitting a second utility pole before coming to a stop.

Woods was taken to Carolinas Medical Center where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Her vehicle was totaled, incurring an estimated $5,000 in damages. Police shut down both of Providence Road’s inbound lanes for nearly two hours to repair and investigate the accident site.

According to Duke Energy spokesman Andy Thompson, work crews responded to the power outages promptly, repairing both severed utility poles and power lines, and restoring power to the 550-plus homes before 9 a.m.