Power outage caused by car crash at Southern, Nicklaus intersection

RIO RANCHO — A car crashing into a pole at the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Nicklaus Drive caused a power outage. Additionally, the driver that crashed was arrested.

As of 1:30 p.m., drivers are having to stop at a four-way stop with stop signs at the intersection as crews work to restore power to the area. The outages have been resolved, according to a PNM outage map.

Julian Weeks, 21, of Albuquerque, was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal damage to property and reckless driving at around 3:30 a.m. March 5. 

Police were dispatched to the intersection for a motor vehicle accident with injuries, according to a criminal complaint.

When they got to the intersection, they saw a Kia positioned on the side of the roadway facing westbound and a wooden power line pole had been completely snapped off from its base.

The driver of the Kia, Weeks, told police he was driving his vehicle westbound at approximately 80 or 90 miles per hour in the eastbound lanes of travel. Weeks allegedly stated that he collided with the pole intentionally. He also said that while he was driving westbound in the eastbound lanes, he observed another vehicle traveling eastbound toward him and swerved out of his way because he did not want to intentionally hit the other vehicle.

The other driver, who was traveling eastbound on Southern Boulevard at the time of the crash, told officers he saw a vehicle driving westbound in the eastbound lanes, heading directly toward his vehicle. The witness stated that he was in fear that it was going to collide with him.

Weeks could face three years in prison if he is convicted.