Repairs Continue for Damage Caused by Drunken Driver

REDONDO BEACH, CA - A suspected drunken driver who slammed into a power pole and fire hydrant this weekend was to blame for damage done to a Redondo Beach intersection, where repairs are still underway Tuesday morning, police said.

The crash at the intersection of Aviation Boulevard and Carnegie Lane took place about 11:15 p.m. Saturday, Redondo Beach police Lt. Todd Heywood said.

The accident produced a ripple effect that shut off power to the nearby neighborhood, and Southern California Edison repair crews were still working on electrical problems two blocks away at Aviation and Artesia boulevards, where traffic lights are still now working once again, Heywood said.

Repairs were expected to continue through Tuesday, according to police.

Ronald Applegate, 46, who crashed his Hyundai into the pole and hydrant, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, Heywood added. He was picked up by the South Bay DUI task force, which was on patrol this past weekend.

Applegate was booked on felony charges. He posted $100,000 bail and was released about 6:50 a.m on Sunday, according to L.A. County jail records. No court date has been set for his arraignment.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock