Crash Disrupts Telephone, Internet Service

— Washington County Sheriff’s deputies said they arrested a Lincoln resident Saturday after he crashed into several fences, road signs and telephone equipment causing the disruption of telephone and Internet service to dozens of Prairie Grove Telephone Company customers.

Bryan Seals, 40, of 11109 S. Old Cincinnati Road faces felony counts of criminal trespass and criminal mischief along with misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to maintain control of a vehicle and no proof of insurance.

Shane Bell of the telephone company said Monday that 43 telephone customers and 30 Internet customers were without service Saturday afternoon for a few hours while crews worked to repair telephone boxes containing fiber optics. He estimated the damage to be between $50,000 and $75,000.

A caller reportedly told deputies they saw Seals flee the scene of a single vehicle accident. The caller’s husband told police he later found Seals passed out on their property and had to load him onto an all-terrain vehicle to take him back to the scene of the accident.

Police said Seals admitted to drinking a pint of whiskey and had blood-alcohol content of 0.13. He was released from the Washington County Detention Center on Sunday on a $3,500 bond.

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