Distracted driver knocks over 3 electrical poles in West Lawn alleyway, Chicago police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man drove his car into three electrical poles in an alley Saturday on the city's Southwest Side, police said.

A trail of destruction and debris from destroyed garbage cans could be seen on a Citizen app video after the poles had fallen over.

ComEd crews worked to clean up the tangled mess of electrical wires Sunday morning. Some neighbors said they were without power overnight.

The crash happened around 4:20 p.m. Saturday in the 6100 block of South Kolin Avenue, Chicago police said.

The driver of a Jeep SUV, a 51-year-old man, crashed into the poles because of a distraction from inside the vehicle, police said.

"All these trash cans, all over, smashed up," resident Chester Komosa said. "Then I look up, 1, 2, 3 power posts are down."

Other neighbors saw the crash take place.

"Some people saw the van zig zagging through the alley here and knocking down all these cans, then hit that post," Komosa said. "That's when the post went down."

The driver was taken to Christ hospital to be treated for unknown injuries. He was issued two citations by police.

"Looking down the alley, seeing all these power lines down, first you say did anyone get hurt or something?" Komosa said.

It was not immediately known if there were any other injuries.

No further information about the crash was immediately available.