MIAMI, Fla. – A city of Miami police officer lost control of his cruiser Tuesday, causing the car to end up in an odd place.
The patrol car mowed down a stop sign and came to rest high atop a support cable tied to a utility pole. The front end of the cruiser was lifted from the ground, which caused the car to appear to be standing vertically.
"How did he do that?" said Yvonne Sorrells, who lives nearby. "I heard a kaboom but I didn't get up until I looked to see that I didn't have any light."
The early-morning accident forced Florida Power & Light to shut off power in the area of Northwest 67th Street and Sixth Avenue in Miami. The decision was made to ensure the safety of the officer who was behind the wheel and surrounding homes because of a potentially unstable utility pole that carries high-voltage wires.
The officer, who managed to crawl out of the banged-up cruiser, told his superiors that he became distracted while driving.
"He was actually picking up the pen that he dropped when he's not paying attention to the roadway and he starts veering off to the side," said Miami police spokesman Willie Moreno.
Miami police identified the police officer involved in the crash as Officer J. Brutus, a four-year veteran of the force.
The patrol car actually hit a guy-wire, a tension support cable that's usually tied to objects such as utility poles.
A crane had to be used to pry the cruiser from the wire. It was later towed away.
By early afternoon, county workers had replaced the damaged stop sign and power had been restored to the area.
Brutus could face disciplinary actions that could include the permanent loss of his take-home vehicle.
"He's blessed to have walked out," said Sorrells.
No one was injured.