Crash cut power to 3,000; Man ran and hid in backyard of
home
Gilroy – Morgan Hill resident Robert McDuff Jr., 23, suffered minor injuries in a crash on Broadway Street that cut off power to 3,000 PG&E customers from Gilroy to south San Jose Thursday morning.
According to police, McDuff was accelerating his 2005 Dodge Magnum 300 wagon rapidly down the side street when he lost control and struck a PG&E pole then a tree about 11:15am.
The pole was knocked down, cutting off power to 3,000 PG&E customers. At 6pm, 117 customers in the immediate area of the crash were still without power and PG&E officials estimated that power would return about 10pm.
Following the accident, McDuff fled the vehicle, jumping over several fences and hiding from police.
Cpl. Veronica Georges found him hiding in the backyard of a nearby home and turned him over to paramedics. He was airlifted to a San Jose area hospital where he was treated for his injuries.
Drugs or alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash, police said. A complaint will be filed with the District Attorney’s office asking them to press charges for reckless driving and a hit and run accident.
