Thousands left without power in Victoria after ute wipes out pole

Thousands of homes and businesses have been forced off the grid after a main power supply was wiped out by a ute on Monday morning.

At about 6.30am, a ute ploughed through a power pole in McEdward St, Birdwoodton in Victoria’s northwest.

The female driver of the vehicle was taken to Mildura Hospital for further treatment.

However, the incident has left homes and businesses nearby off the grid after the impact caused a major power outage in the area.

Powercor spokesman Jordan Oliver told the ABC that a major powerline, known as a “feeder”, had been impacted by the crash.

“Around 2700 customers were impacted on that feeder and that includes homes and businesses,” he said.

“A lot of properties with automated alarm systems will be triggering due to the loss of mains power supply.”

Areas affected include Mildura, Cabarita and Birdwoodton, with more than 3360 homes impacted.

Powercor expects power to be restored in the area by 5.30pm on Monday.

Originally published as Thousands left without power in Victoria after ute wipes out pole