Briefly in the news

Nearly 2,000 homes and businesses lost power Monday after a pickup

truck struck a Southern California Edison power pole.

Power went out for 1,725 Edison customers just before 5 a.m after a

motorist ran into the power pole, a light pole and a fire hydrant, police

said.

Marc Africano, 35, from Huntington Beach, was driving his Toyota

Tundra north on Brookhurst Street when he ran the truck off the road and

hit a fire hydrant, telephone pole and concrete light pole.

“It appears the driver was intoxicated,” said Huntington Beach Police

Sgt. Janet Perez.

The wires were down and water spurting from the fire hydrant

electrified them.

Edison shut down power along Brookhurst Street, between Banning and

Hamilton avenues, until about 6:30 a.m., so the damage could be

repaired.

Africano suffered minor injuries and was taken to Huntington Beach

Jail.