It took Pike Electric more than eight hours to replace the power pole that was struck Friday.

CHAPEL HILL – Franklin Street’s worst driving corner took three vehicles as victims in less than 36 hours this weekend shutting down the north east end of the road twice.

Chapel Hill Police Sgt. Josh Mecimore says Friday afternoon’s incident involved a single car that veered off the road and struck a power pole.

“Ann Heinz has been charged with two charges: driving while impaired (and) careless and reckless driving,” Sgt. Mecimore says. “The driving while impaired is a blood test, so we won’t have the actual alcohol level (results) back for some time.”

The vehicle was reportedly traveling southwest on Franklin approximately 50 miles per hour in the 35 mile-per-hour zone.

Once she’s charged, Heinz will lose her license for 30 days. She will then have to appear in court and could face up to another year of her license revoked if convicted. The reckless driving charge carries a penalty less than one year in jail, but Sgt. Mecimore says offenders don’t often get that harsh a punishment.

Heinz was transported to UNC Hospitals with minor injuries.

Thirty-three and a half hours later, a car traveling in the opposite direction had a similar problem, but this time with no alcohol as the cause.

“A car heading toward Durham crossed the center line in the curve there, into oncoming traffic, and then struck another vehicle head-on,” Sgt. Mecimore says. “So, I guess in this situation the difference was there was another vehicle there.”

In that accident, Ciarra Roberts was charged with failure to maintain lane control. That infraction is an offense which can be waived by just paying the fine.

Two of the four people from Roberts’ vehicle—not including Roberts herself—were transported to UNC Hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the other car was the lone occupant and was also transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

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