Drunk driving crash in Lalitpur disrupts traffic after car hits power pole

KATHMANDU: A serious road accident late last night at the Satdobato-Hattiban section of Lalitpur has brought all vehicular movement to a standstill after a speeding car, allegedly driven under the influence of alcohol, rammed into a roadside high-tension electricity pole.

According to police reports, the car bearing registration number Ba 15 Cha 7652 was traveling at high speed when it crashed into an 11,000-volt high-tension electric pole anchored at the roadside.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the pole broke and collapsed onto the middle of the road, completely blocking traffic.

Three individuals traveling in the vehicle sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at B&B Hospital, as confirmed by the police.

Emergency response teams from Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s municipal police, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) technicians, and traffic police were immediately deployed to the scene.

Efforts are still underway to safely remove the broken pole and restore normal traffic flow.

Sitaram Hachhethu, chief of the municipal police and a former traffic police officer, expressed shock at the nature of the incident. “I’ve seen poles bend after being hit by vehicles before, but this is the first time I’ve witnessed a pole planted at the roadside completely break and fall into the middle of the road,” he said.

Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

The car’s front section was completely destroyed due to the force of the impact.