Norristown Man Charged in Drunken Crash That Took Out Power in West Norriton

According to 6ABC Action News, West Norriton police are charging a Norristown resident in connection with a car crash that took out a utility pole in West Norriton in the wee hours of Monday morning, knocking out power to residents in the surrounding area.

According to 6ABC, Eric Gutowski, 36, is being charged by with DUI and related offenses after his 2009 Chevy Impala crashed into a utility pole at Burnside and Chestnut avenues sometime around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 6.

Gutowski also faces possible charges for filing a false report to the . At approximately 2 a.m. that same night, Gutowski reported to police that his car had been stolen from where he had parked it on Markley Street in Norristown. Police say Gutowski was visibly intoxicated at the time he made the report. Further investigation revealed his involvement in the West Norriton crash.

In addition to losing power, some residents lost major appliances to the resulting power surge. Residents who suffered a loss as a result of the accident can contact PECO to get information on filing a claim.

"Depending on the cause of the surge will depend on whether or not PECO is liable to compensate the customer. If it's something that's out of PECO's control, the company would not be liable, but we will help the customer to identify the liable party," PECO spokesman Bob Armstrong told 6ABC.

Read more about the incident here.