Fire crews warned the octogenarian to stay in his vehicle after seeing "arcing and burning" from bent-over pole.
The man was at the BP petrol station, in Gordon Rd, Mosgiel, to use the car wash yesterday morning, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said.
‘‘After he entered the activation code, his foot got jammed on the accelerator.
‘‘He's taken off through the car wash, out the other end, over the garden and into the live lamppost.’’
The man sustained minor bumps and grazes and had to wait for lines company Delta to arrive before it was safe to extract him from the vehicle, Snr Sgt Bond said.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman yesterday said the struck lamppost was ‘‘on a lean’’ and emergency services crews saw ‘‘arcing and burning’’ coming from its base.
‘‘There was a delay until the power had been isolated, because there's a risk there for anyone trying to free the person, they could get electrocuted.’’
It was not the only incident involving the elderly that police responded to yesterday.
Snr Sgt Bond said police were also called to The Warehouse South Dunedin due to a disorder in the carpark, at about 3pm yesterday.
A 33-year-old man had ‘‘caused a scuffle’’ after he parked next to a 76-year-old motorcyclist.
The pair were disputing who was in the wrong after the younger man opened his car door into the 76-year-old's motorcycle handlebar.
The 33-year-old was at fault, Snr Sgt Bond.
Officers spoke to the pair and no arrests were made.
