It wasn't your everyday vehicle crash and it was no April Fools' Day joke either.
A 22-year-old Little Falls man was injured about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday after the Pontiac Bonneville he was driving drifted across Thiesse Road in south Brainerd and crashed.
The driver, Ryan Kallenbach, was transported by North Ambulance to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd, where Tuesday afternoon he was in good condition.
Kallenbach's car went off the road, hit a mailbox, went under a fence, took out the base of a power pole, drove up a small hill, went under another fence and came to a halt in a weedy area between Brainerd Garages and the Pepsi plant.
Brainerd police reported Kallenbach took off his seat belt and walked away from the accident. Police Chief John Bolduc said it wasn't clear Tuesday afternoon why Kallenbach's vehicle left the roadway. Alcohol did not appear to play a part in the crash.
A Pontiac Bonneville crashed Tuesday afternoon into a mailbox, a power line and went under a fence twice in two different areas before landing in a weedy area between Brainerd Garages and the Pepsi plant on Thiesse Road in south Brainerd. The driver was taken by North Ambulance to be treated at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd, where Tuesday afternoon he was reported in good condition. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger » Purchase reprints of this photo.
After the car struck the power pole, the bottom six feet of the pole snapped off and was found lying on the ground about 15 feet away. The rest of the power pole was still standing and the power was still working after the accident - the pole was just shorter.
Law enforcement officers and utility workers at the scene were surprised the pole was still standing. One officer noted this accident was not a garden variety crash - it was one of a kind.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department also responded to the scene.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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