Traffic Crash Plunges Town Of Ocheyedan Into Darkness

Ocheyedan, Iowa — An early Tuesday morning traffic crash in Ocheyedan plunged the town into darkness and sent a Spirit Lake man to  jail.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office reports that shortly after 4:15 Tuesday morning they received a call of a single-vehicle crash that had occurred near the feed mill in Ocheyedan. Deputies say they found that a vehicle had struck an electrical transformer box, which caused a city-wide power outage in Ocheyedan.

Deputies say as a result of their investigation, the driver of the vehicle, 33-year-old Bradley John Johnson of Spirit Lake, was arrested for 1st Offense OWI, Driving While Revoked, both serious misdemeanors. They say he was also cited for having an open container of alcohol and Failure to Maintain Control, both simple misdemeanors.

According to authorities, Johnson suffered minor injuries in the crash. His vehicle, a 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo had damage estimated at $4,000, while there was an estimated $5,000 damage to the transfer box.

Authorities say power was restored to the town of Ocheyedan after about a 3-1/2 hour outage.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Ocheyedan Ambulance, the Sibley Ambulance, Jeddeloh Towing and Alliant Energy.

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