A large part of Eureka Springs was without power for most of the day Saturday, Dec. 30, after a vehicle collided with a power pole, knocking lines onto the roadway.

According to Eureka Springs Police Chief Billy Floyd, an SUV was traveling east at 9:47 a.m. when it hit the power pole in front of Trails Inn at 2060 East Van Buren.

The pole snapped, draping lines across the roadway and knocking out power for much of the city. The sign for Trails Inn was also hit and damaged.

“It was way more simple than what the outcome was,” Floyd said when asked to explain the accident. “The driver stated that she was blinded by the sun or she might have dozed off. When she looked up she was headed for the power pole.

“It just involved the one vehicle and [the driver] was able to get out of her vehicle and was fine. There was another vehicle following her that ended up being on top of a power line and they were told to stay in their vehicle until it was confirmed there was no more power going to the pole.”

A crew from SWEPCO was called to replace the pole and get power restored, Floyd said, adding that Cox Cable was also involved in repairs.

“I know power was down over a pretty good portion of the city for quite a while,” Floyd said. “That afternoon they had it back up and running portions at a time.”

Two ESPD officers responded to the accident and a citation was issued, according to the department’s call sheets.

“I guess it was the right time of the morning,” Floyd said of what caused the accident. “It was 9:47 a.m. and she was traveling east. I guess it’s possible that the sun was in her eyes.

“I do know that people travel through there at 9:47 a.m. a lot and so far nobody had hit that pole.”

Route 62 General Store, located at 2080 E. Van Buren, was without power for approximately eight hours, according to a post on Facebook, while the Apple Blossom Inn at 3043 East Van Buren posted at 7:19 p.m. that power had been restored.