BATON ROUGE – A vehicle crashed into a utility pole overnight, sending a charge through the power line above and sparking a house fire along the line.

A pickup slammed into the pole on McKinley Street just before midnight. Firefighters responded to the crash and noticed the house near the wreck was smoking. In addition to dealing with the wreck, firefighters also focused on the home, where they found a fire in the attic of the house.

The fire department said investigators believe when the driver of the truck hit and knocked down the utility pole, it sent a surge into the home and sparked the fire.

The driver of the pickup was trapped in the vehicle for a time because live power lines had fallen on top of the truck. The utility company had to respond and turn off power so the driver could be rescued.

Once the driver was rescued, he was taken to the hospital.

The fire department did not elaborate on if police would file charges against the driver or what caused the initial crash.

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