An alleged drunken driver rammed his pickup truck into a light pole Monday night on Egan Drive, causing the pole to split into multiple pieces, police say.
The Juneau Police Department arrested Michael Timothy Whiting, 49, after multiple callers reported seeing an intoxicated driver near Fred Meyer, according to a JPD press release. The driver struck a light pole near the store then left the scene.
Officers pulled Whiting over at a parking lot near Alaway Avenue, one lot away from the police department, where he was arrested for driving under the influence, refusing a breath test and leaving the scene of an accident, the release states.
The light pole Whiting allegedly destroyed will cost the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities upwards of $7,000 to repair, DOT spokesman Jeremy Woodrow said. He said state officials will first try to recoup the cost of the pole through Whiting’s insurance policy, if possible. It could be several months before a replacement is installed if the department does not have the pole in stock.
Whiting’s truck sustained an estimated $3,000 in damage. He remains in custody at Lemon Creek Correctional Center without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday afternoon.
• Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or paula.solis@juneauempire.com.
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