Suspected drunken driver splits power pole in half in north Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police said a suspected drunken driver hit a power pole in north Charlotte overnight, splitting it in two.

The crash happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Sunset Road and Old Statesville Road.

Duke Energy was called to fix the pole and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police charged the driver with DWI. No names have been released.

A few minutes before that wreck, officers responded to another serious crash in southeast Charlotte.

Police said an SUV overturned and caught fire around 2:10 a.m. on Briar Creek Road near Independence Boulevard.

Investigators told Channel 9 the driver was not seriously hurt, but have not said what caused the crash.

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