SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police said the crash that led businesses to lose internet and power along Mallon Avenue Monday night was caused by a drunk driver.
Avista Utilities said the car hit the telephone pole around 8 p.m. Monday and crews were able to restore power quickly.
SPD arrested the suspected drunk driver near 5th and Monroe shortly after the crash. The driver is facing DUI and hit and run charges.
Some businesses are still waiting for their internet and phone services to be back online, some even closing for the entire day Tuesday.
Canopy Credit Union announced its Mallon Avenue branch would be closed Tuesday.
While other businesses like Kasa Taphouse were able to stay open, owners were told the street may need to close for repairs.
Business owners are worried about how these ongoing repairs will affect them, especially if the road has to close to fix the power lines.
“There’s a pole that got pulled and their fiber optics just bent the entire pole down,” said Kasa Restaurant and Taphouse owner Juli Norris. “It was quite the scene.”
Spokane Arena said its internet and phone lines are still down. This is also affecting the Podium and ONE Spokane Stadium.
The Podium’s HVAC and air conditioning systems are still not working since they need internet access to function properly.
4 News Now reached out to Lumen about when the lines will be fully restored but have yet to hear back.
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