Moviegoers, bar patrons and diners flooded the streets last night after a car struck a light pole in the parking lot across from Cinema 5 Theatre, knocking loose a wire and plunging a 10-block area of State College into darkness.
West Penn Power restored service to the area between College and Beaver avenues and High and Atherton streets in about an hour and a half.
Due to several failed traffic lights, a second accident occurred when a truck traveling north from Garner Street struck a motorcycle going south on Shortlidge Road, said witness Andrew Henson (junior-history).
State College Bureau of Police Services would not confirm any information last night about the motorcycle accident.
During the blackout, downtown businesses coped as best as they could with the unexpected loss of electricity.
Hal McCullough, co-owner of Cafe 210, 210 W. College Ave., said the bar's beer taps were working but the kitchen had to be shut down and the gas turned off for safety reasons.
"We're trying to operate as well as we can," McCullough said during the power outage.
Employees at Mario and Luigi's Italian Restaurant, 112 S. Garner St., used candles for lighting and read the menu to the customers.
The registers at McLanahan's Self Service Store, 414 E. College Ave., could not operate so all the customers had to leave.
"It's hard to read a card when it gets dark," said Henson, who was in the greeting card section when the lights went out.
Anne Kaplan (junior-chemistry) saw customers leaving the store after the car accident.
"There was a boom, a white light and screaming. People were running out of McLanahan's," she said.
As movie-goers filed out of theaters, downtown cinema employees gave free passes to watch the movies at another time.
"No one knew anything, it went completely dark," said Larry Perry, an employee at The State Theatre, 128 W. College Ave. "Everyone handled it pretty well. A few people came out after 10 to 15 minutes when they realized it was a power failure. It all happened really quick. We only had about 100 or so people inside."
Many bar patrons stood in a long line at The Gingerbread Man, 130 Heister St., one of the few bars in the area that still had power.
"We're like an oasis in the middle of darkness," said bouncer Jim Payne. "There was no line here. About a dozen of people said they had left other bars, they threw the people out. They saw the lights on and flocked here like moths drawn to a light."
Alumnus Michael Moore was in Ye Olde College Diner, 126 W. College Ave., when the blackout started.
"Everyone was pretty confused and shocked," Moore said. "There were probably 50 to 75 people in there. (Employees) took care of the people who left, used a cashbox and a flashlight to be sure no one snuck out without paying their checks."
