An allegedly intoxicated man passed out and rammed his girlfriend’s truck into a Puget Sound Energy power pole, causing over $15,000 worth of damage to the pole while totaling the vehicle just before midnight last Sat., Aug. 7.
Norman Field, 57, of Lacey, told Olympia police that he was in the passenger seat of the truck and that someone else was driving when he “fell asleep” and the truck collided with the PSE power pole. However, an eyewitness to the crash stated that Field was the only one driving.
In the police report, OPD could smell the “obvious odor of intoxicating beverages” and Field admitted that “he had only smoked marijuana tonight.”
Challenging Field’s story were the injuries that Field had on his body consistent with those that can be caused by the driver’s side seatbelt, including damage to his left neck and shoulder, which suggested that Field had been driving the truck. He also sustained other injuries, according to the police report, including three fractured ribs on the right side of his chest, a possible fractured scapula and a fractured left wrist.
Puget Sound Energy estimated the replacement cost of the power pole at $12,000 to $15,000.
Field’s girlfriend, the registered owner of the truck, arrived at the scene and confirmed that he had her permission to drive it.
Field was cited for driving under the influence, his blood drawn by St. Peter Hospital, and he was released.
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