Power Outage in Pullman Caused by Reckless Car Crash

On Saturday morning at around 2:30 a.m., officers from the Pullman Police Department responded to a car crash on Orchard Drive, where they found a silver BMW convertible that had left the roadway and crashed into a power pole. The driver, 23-year-old Washington State University student Swadheen Bhowal, had allegedly fled the scene on foot, and there were at least four to five passengers in the vehicle when it occurred. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries.

The crash caused a power outage that affected around 130 Avista customers in the area, lasting from 2:30 a.m. to noon. The pole had to be removed and replaced, thus closing Orchard Drive for a few hours while repairs were made and the investigation was completed. Bhowal eventually turned himself in to the department a few hours after the crash and was arrested and charged with suspicion of driving under the influence, reckless driving and hit-and-run. Cove Way, a road next to Orchard, is also closed for unrelated utility work.