Driver in power pole crash arraigned.

Utz-Harrington

Driver in power pole crash arraigned.

#MasonCountyNews.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — Raymond Joseph Utz-Harrington, 30, of 1559 N. Benson Road, Branch Township (also listed as 5877 N. Beaune Road, Hamlin Township), was arraigned Tuesday, Sept. 24, in 79th District Court, on the felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon, and misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to report an accident. On Monday, Sept. 23, Utz-Harrington allegedly drove his pickup truck into a utility pole at the intersection of US 10 and Benson Road. He then allegedly fled the scene by foot. He was later apprehended by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police. 

The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. when the southbound blue Dodge Dakota pickup crossed US 10 and struck the utility pole on the south side of the road. The impact caused the pole to break and left high voltage power lines and a mercury light dangling just a few feet across US 10. Power as far away as Scottville flickered and most of the Walhalla area was without power.

US 10 was shut down for several hours and traffic diverted between Walhalla and Schoenherr roads as a result of the crash.

The charges against Utz-Harrington are addition to separate felony charges stemming from an Aug. 12, 2019 arrest by Mason County Sheriff’s Office on interfering with an electronic communications device.

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