Single Vehicle Crash Takes Out Utility Pole

Newport police responded to a single vehicle crash on west Hwy 25-70 early Monday morning. Police say that a Ford F250 pickup driven by 24 year old Devan Myers of Dandridge ran off the highway and struck a utility pole. The impact actually drove the utility pole up out of the ground and the truck was wedged underneath it. Myers told police that he had looked down for his e-cigarette and when he looked back up a vehicle was stopping in front of him, so he swerved to miss that vehicle and ran off the road striking the pole. Myers smelled of alcohol and admitted he had been drinking at the Backway Inn Bar. Myers’ truck matched the description of a vehicle that was seen leaving the Fox and Hounds with a possible intoxicated driver. Myers blood alcohol level was .099, which was over the legal limit of .08. Myers was charged with DUI and failure to exercise due care among other charges. The estimated cost to replace that utility pole is $20,000.