Power Outage Results In Multiple Crashes, Injuries At Santa Rosa Intersections

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- Widespread power outages in the North Bay have resulted in a number of auto accidents at intersections where traffic signals were not working, according to authorities.

The City of Santa Rosa said in a tweet on Wednesday that there have been "multiple" traffic collisions at intersections without power, including five crashes that resulted in injuries.

Drivers were urged to slow down and reminded to treat intersections without power as four-way stops.

PG&E has shut off power in parts of Sonoma, Solano, Marin and Napa counties as part of a Public Safety Power Shutoff, designed to prevent deadly wildfires during dangerous wind conditions Wednesday and Thursday.

Power shutdowns have been postponed until at least 8 p.m. for the East Bay, the South Bay and the Peninsula, according to officials.

The utility is currently under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after its power lines ignited several massive wildfires in Northern California since 2017. Victims of those fires have filed millions of dollars in damage lawsuits against the utility.

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• PGE
• Power Outage