A man is in a critical condition at Hawke's Bay Hospital after being thrown 15m from his car, which wiped out a power pole on Clifton Road at the weekend.
About 5.50pm on Saturday, a 35-year-old Te Awanga man drifted off to the left and over-corrected, causing his vehicle to slide through a barrier and knock out a concrete power pylon.
"We don't believe excessive speed was a factor but we do believe alcohol might have been, we are waiting on blood results," Senior Constable Tim Rowe said.
"It was fortunate it didn't happen sooner as children had been playing in the spot where his car stopped, moments earlier."
The man was flown to Wellington Hospital with extensive head and external injuries, but has now returned to Hastings.
