A man who crashed a pickup truck into utility poles, causing a busy road to be blocked and a power outage lasting several hours, has been arrested on multiple counts, the Department of Public Health announced Thursday. Forest Acres Police.
Steven Anthony Young, 44, was charged with driving with a suspended license, giving false information and hitting light fixtures on or beside the freeway, the gate told the state. -word of Forest Acres, Lynnsey Baker. Baker said Young is a resident of West Columbia.
The charges stem from a shipwreck around 1:35 a.m. on May 17, according to police.
Young was driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck that struck two utility poles near the intersection of Forest Drive and Dalloz Road, police said. It is in an area of Forest Acres densely populated with businesses, near AC Flora High School.
The crash caused a power outage in the area and approximately half a mile of Forest Drive, between Beltline Boulevard and Falcon Drive, was blocked for several hours as Dominion Energy crews worked to clear the road and restore power. electricity, according to the police. .
Damage to the two broken utility poles was estimated at $15,000, police said.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the van had been abandoned, police said.
While officers were investigating the scene, authorities received another call about a man on Brentwood Drive, police say.
Officers responded to the 1200 block of Brentwood Drive, about three-quarters of a mile from the crash, where they found Young inside an unlocked vehicle, Baker said. Officers said it appeared Young was trying to hide inside the car, according to Baker.
It was apparent that Young needed medical attention and he was taken to an area hospital, police said.
What wasn’t immediately clear was Young’s identity, as well as how he suffered his injuries.
When questioned by police, Young lied about his name — twice, Baker said. He told officers his name was John McFadden, then said it was Steve McFalder, before police could successfully identify Young, according to Baker.
That’s when Young told police his Ford F-150 had gone off the road, Baker said.
Although police say Young was driving the van, it is not registered in his name, according to Baker. Although the truck was registered in someone else’s name, Young did not face additional charges because the van was not reported stolen, Baker said.
Information on Young’s condition was not available. He was not arrested by police until May 24, when he was released from hospital, according to Baker.
Bail on the combined charges was set at $1,345, according to prison records.
Young remains behind bars at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where he faces further charges in Richland County.
On May 22, Young was arrested on three counts of drug charges in addition to one count of possession/sale/transfer of a stolen vehicle (value of $10,000 or more), according to prison records. Bail was set at a combined $10,000 for those charges, according to prison records.
