Speeding crash in Raleigh’s Five Points injures two, knocks out power
A speeding crash at Glenwood Avenue and Whitaker Mill Road cut power, knocked out traffic lights and snarled Five Points before sunrise.
A utility pole crash in Five Points turned the early morning commute into a neighborhood-wide disruption, knocking out traffic lights, cutting power to hundreds of customers and closing part of one of Raleigh’s busiest corridors.
Raleigh police said the wreck happened around 1:15 a.m. Monday at Glenwood Avenue and Whitaker Mill Road. Officers found a car that had hit a power pole, overturned and come to rest on its roof. The impact damaged the pole and left the surrounding area without working traffic signals.
Police said two people inside the vehicle were hurt and taken to WakeMed. WRAL reported that the driver, Chelsey Floyd, 29, and a front-seat passenger suffered serious injuries, but both were later in stable condition. Raleigh police charged Floyd with DWI and reckless driving.
Investigators said the driver had been speeding and driving erratically before the crash. That detail matters in Five Points, where Glenwood Avenue carries steady traffic through a dense mix of homes, businesses and cross streets, and where a single collision can quickly spread beyond the scene.
The utility damage triggered a power outage that affected customers nearby. WRAL reported that about 300 Duke Energy customers lost power, while CBS 17 said nearly 150 customers were affected near the scene as of 5 a.m. Duke Energy estimated service would be restored around noon.
The road closure added another layer of disruption. Police said Whitaker Mill Road could remain closed until about 2 p.m., while Glenwood Avenue had reopened by about 8:30 a.m. That meant neighbors, commuters and nearby businesses had to work around blocked lanes, darkened signals and a damaged utility pole during the busiest part of the morning.
Even though the crash involved only one vehicle, its reach extended far beyond the car itself. In a dense part of Raleigh like Five Points, one impact can cut power, halt traffic and force police, utility crews and road workers to coordinate before normal routines can resume.
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