An alleged drunken driver rammed his pickup truck into a light pole Monday night on Egan Drive, causing the pole to split into multiple pieces, police say.<\/p>\n
The Juneau Police Department arrested Michael Timothy Whiting, 49, after multiple callers reported seeing an intoxicated driver near Fred Meyer, according to a JPD press release<\/a>. The driver struck a light pole near the store then left the scene.<\/p>\n Officers pulled Whiting over at a parking lot near Alaway Avenue, one lot away from the police department, where he was arrested for driving under the influence, refusing a breath test and leaving the scene of an accident, the release states.<\/p>\n The light pole Whiting allegedly destroyed will cost the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities upwards of $7,000 to repair, DOT spokesman Jeremy Woodrow said. He said state officials will first try to recoup the cost of the pole through Whiting\u2019s insurance policy, if possible.<\/span> It could be several months before a replacement is installed if the department does not have the pole in stock.<\/p>\n Whiting\u2019s truck sustained an estimated $3,000 in damage. He remains in custody at Lemon Creek Correctional Center without bail and was scheduled to be arraigned in court Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n \u2022 Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or paula.solis@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n Related stories:<\/p>\n Downtown Juneau businesses lose thousands from burglaries<\/a><\/p>\n Fallen Southeast servicemen honored on Memorial Day<\/a><\/p>\n