Sarah J. Richardson, Miss Las Cruces, Arrested For Alleged DWI (PHOTO)

Beauty Queen Allegedly Causes Massive Power Outage

Sarah J. Richardson has a smile that could light up a town -- a service the town really could have used after cops say she drunkenly crashed her car into a light pole, leaving hundreds of homes and businesses in the dark.

The reigning Miss Las Cruces, N.M. was arrested on Sunday and charged with aggravated DWI, according to KVLA.

The 22-year-old allegedly crashed her PT Cruiser into a light pole, which fell over, hitting a nearby traffic light on Sunday night.

The crash left around 1,700 nearby businesses and homes in the dark after the power was knocked out. The lights were back on by Monday.

The Miss New Mexico and Miss America organizations are looking through contracts and policies to see what, if anything, will happen to Richardson's title.

"We are taking this very, very seriously," Miss Las Cruces Executive Director Aleiha Direnzo told KFOX. "We usually don't anticipate something like this coming up so we're very surprised and saddened."

The Associated Press reports that Richardson posted bond and was released after being jailed for about an hour.

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Kendra Gill

Not So Beautiful Beauty Queen

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