MONROE — A fiery vehicle vs. power pole crash outside Monroe midday March 11, snapped the pole in half and caused a power outage in the area. 

Power was down for about 750 customers west of Monroe, according to Alliant Energy. The accident also shut down Bethel Road between Bloom Lane and 4th Avenue West for the afternoon while the energy company worked to repair the pole and restore power.

The accident that caused the outage was reported at 12:43 p.m. in the N2400 block of Bethel Road.

“We got actually multiple 911 calls on it,” Green County Chief Deputy Tom Moczynski said.

Responding deputies found Chad A. Rucinski, 41, Monroe, was westbound when he reported that he reached over toward the front passenger seat to grab an item out of a bag. As he did this, he lost control of the vehicle, went off the road and collided with the power pole.

“It snapped it in half,” said Monroe Fire Chief Dan Smits, who was at the scene. Then, “there’s a fuse on the pole that caught on fire.”

The collision also damaged power lines. No injuries were reported from the crash or fire. Rucinski’s vehicle sustained severe damage and was towed.

Rucinski was cited for inattentive driving.

In addition to the Monroe Fire Department, Monroe police assisted deputies on scene. The Town of Clarno assisted with traffic control.