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Excavator Creates Havoc In Sunnyvale; Power Knocked Out

SUNNYVALE (CBS SF) -- A third-party contractor's excavator toppled two utility poles and damaged two others Monday, triggering a power outage that knocked out electricity to more than 8,000 PG&E customers, according to a utility spokeswoman.

The damage was reported at 10:55 a.m. at the intersection of North Pastoria Avenue and Del Rey Avenue and PG&E crews were on scene less than 15 minutes later, PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado said.

Tostado posted images on Twitter of the area where crews using the heavy construction equipment got the machine tangled in a communication line and drove it down.

The incident left 8,039 customers without power, but that number has been reduced to 79 as of about 1:20 p.m.

Crews were setting up at that time to replace the two poles that were damage beyond repair and fix the two that could be salvaged.

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