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It's been a nasty holiday behind the wheel in Portland.
Prior to the two fatal crashes that occurred on the morning of Dec. 27, a driver crashed into a power pole around 2:45 a.m at the 5500 block of North Interstate Avenue and fled on foot, according to police.
He then came back to the scene and was arrested, the Portland Police Bureau said in a release. He's been identified as 25 year-old Alexander Ditchey and was issued a citation for reckless driving and issued a DUII.
Ditchey's crash resulted in thousands of Portlanders losing power early in the morning.
A photo of the pole and car provided by police shows a splintered wooden pole casing. The photo shows significant damage to the front of the vehicle.
Earlier today, two people died in Portland traffic.
One was a pedestrian who was struck and killed by a vehicle along Northeast 122nd Avenue at Northeast Halsey Street. The other was a driver who swerved into oncoming traffic on North Lombard St. and was pronounced dead when police arrived to the scene. Police said they suspect the deceased driver may have suffered a medical event that caused the accident.
