HOT SPRINGS -- City officials are considering the placement of unobtrusive rock boulders in downtown medians to slow or stop vehicles before they damage the area's historic street lights after two were destroyed in a collision this weekend.
Hot Springs police Cpl. Joey Williams said Angela Lucinda Nix, 32, was northbound on Central Avenue at about 1:50 a.m. Sunday when she lost control of her 2015 Toyota RAV4, left the roadway and drove into the median.
Williams said the RAV4 struck one light pole, drove through it, then hit and knocked down another.
The lampposts were specifically chosen when Central Business Improvement District No. 2 was formed in 1986 and have to be special ordered, said Lance Spicer, assistant city manager.
"Any time one is damaged or destroyed, it takes some time to get the replacement delivered since they come from a foundry in the Midwest," Spicer said in an email, noting the fixtures "look great but they are very expensive to replace."
Interim City Manager Bill Burrough said Monday that the city has three complete sets on order from prior accidents.
Burrough said the fixtures, which are painted green and have fluted sides and hanging globe lighting, run from $10,000 to $14,000 each.
"It really depends on the type of pole," Burrough said, noting that some have extensions topped with a light for additional coverage, which adds to the cost.
One of the poles damaged over the weekend is believed to have been replaced around the first of the year after a collision with a vehicle last year, he said.
"We lose one or two a year," Burrough said, adding that insurance claims are filed against the drivers to recover the cost, where possible.
He estimated the damage from this weekend will total between $22,000 and $28,000.
Williams said Nix, 32, was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday in the 200 block of Central Avenue and charged with DWI, first offense, and careless and prohibited driving.
She was released from custody on a $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear Aug. 28 in Garland County District Court.
Williams said Nix's blood-alcohol content was 0.13 percent. She was not injured in the wreck.
State Desk on 08/21/2018