Driver of Stolen Car Crashes in Pittsburg, Knocks Out Power to 1,200 Customers

—By Bay City News

The driver of a stolen car was killed after crashing into power poles in Pittsburg on Thursday night and knocking out power to nearly 1,200 PG&E customers in the surrounding area, police and utility officials said.

Around 11:40 p.m., residents in the 600 block of Rockspray Circle heard a vehicle starting outside their home and looked outside to see someone driving off in their truck, police said.

Police said the residents tried to follow the driver in another car, but stopped after he began speeding at about 70 miles per hour on West 10th Street.

The suspect then lost control of the car and crashed into several power poles on West 10th Street near Enterprise Circle.

Officers arriving on the scene had just learned that the truck involved in the crash was reported stolen, Pittsburg police Lt. Ron Raman said.

Approaching the truck with guns drawn, the officers found the driver, a 41-year-old Oakland man, dead inside the vehicle, according to Raman.

The driver's name has not yet been released.

The crash knocked out power to 1,188 customers in the area and about 300 remained without power as of 9:50 a.m., according to PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian.

Sarkissian said power should be restored to all but 100 of those customers by around noon and the remaining customers will likely see their power come back by this evening.

West 10th Street was closed this morning between Enterprise Circle and Beacon Street due to power lines in the roadway and is expected to reopen by noon, according to police.

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