A Denver truck driver is suspected of hitting a power pole Thursday on Commerce Drive in Bayfield, then driving away before being stopped by the Colorado State Patrol.
The driver, Vladimir Bulgakov, told the Bayfield Marshal’s Office he hit a curb but didn’t know he ran into the pole.
The incident was reported to the Marshal’s Office at 12:36 p.m. Thursday.
The snapped pole fell into a nearby aspen tree and caught fire. The collision sparked a small fire in the pole that cut off power to 63 customers in the area, including Mini Merc, the Pine Cone and Community Bank of Colorado.
La Plata Electric Association crews de-energized the line at 1:24 p.m. and had it repaired by 5:43 p.m., said LPEA spokeswoman Indiana Reed.
“He said he didn’t know he hit the pole,” said Marshal Joe McIntyre.
Witnesses told deputies the truck was hauling a King Soopers trailer. The State Patrol stopped Bulgakov en route to Pagosa Springs, saw damage to his truck, and escorted him back to Bayfield.
Drugs and alcohol are not suspected factors in the crash, McIntyre said. Bulgakov told police he had made a delivery in Cortez and was not feeling well as he was driving east, so he pulled into Bayfield looking for an urgent-care clinic.
Bulgakov, 59, was cited for leaving the scene of an accident and careless driving.
He works for Brisk Transportation, which is based in Aurora.
