MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - Modesto police are blaming a scratching cat for an accident that toppled a power pole and shut down a street for nearly an hour. A police sergeant said Friday that a woman was driving with a cat in her lap. The animal scratched her, and she drove into the pole.

The woman suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital. The cat was taken to a vet to treat an injured eye.

On Wednesday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee approved a bill by Assemblyman Bill Maze that would make it illegal to drive with a pet in your arms or in your lap.

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Information from: The Modesto Bee, http://www.modbee.com