Driver injured when car hits telephone pole

COLUMBIA — A 22-year-old man was injured in a car accident early Friday morning when his vehicle crashed head-on into a telephone pole.

Miguel Antonio Scarias was driving north at 1:34 a.m. at the 500 block of N. Garth Avenue when he veered off the right side of the road and hit a pole head-on, according to a news release from the Columbia Police Department.

When police arrived, the driver was semi-conscious and was unable to make a statement because of a language barrier, Lt. Dianne Bernhard said. Bernhard said Scarias only spoke Spanish.

Scarias was transported and is still hospitalized for moderate injuries

He was not wearing a seat belt when the accident occurred.

The incident is still under investigation, but alcohol is believed to have been a factor, according to the release.