A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy was not injured over the weekend when another driver T-boned his patrol car, forcing it up the wire anchoring a power pole to the ground.

It was a dramatic scene for those that passed.

The crash occurred just after 9:20 a.m. Saturday at 70th Avenue East and 160th Street East.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the deputy was responding with his lights and sirens to a report of a burglary-in-progress call. He was headed west on 160th Street East.

Another driver  was going north on 70th Avenue East. He had a stop sign, detective Sgt. Jerry Bates said. The Sheriff’s Department reports the driver failed to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle.

The driver hit the patrol car on the rear of the driver’s side, sending the patrol car toward a house. Thinking he might hit the house, the deputy steered away and caught the wires of the power pole with the front of the vehicle, Bates said.

The patrol car went up the wires. The power line broke and fell to the ground, igniting a fire, deputies reported.

The deputy had to jump from his car. The car was still running and in gear, at the time.

One News Tribune reader reported the crash investigation backed up traffic on 160th for at least four hours.

The driver was cited for driving with a suspended license and for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Mechanics will be evaluating the patrol car today to determine the extent of damage, sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.