Wilmington Police searching for driver of crashed stolen car who caused power outage, road closure

WILMINGTON (WWAY) — The Wilmington Police Department is searching for the driver of a stolen car who crashed into a telephone pole — causing a power outage Saturday.

It happened around 12:30 p.m. in the 1900 block of Dawson Street. The driver hit a telephone pole, causing it to break and lean into the street.

The driver ran away before police arrived. The car involved in the crash, a 2017 Mazda CX-5, was reported stolen the day before.

Several traffic signals in the area lost power due to the crash so officers used generators to power the lights. The Dawson Street Extension was shut down for several hours while Duke Energy made repairs.

This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the WPD at (910) 343-3609 or by using the Tip 411 app.