HURRICANE — The driver of a dump truck was arrested Thursday for suspected DUI after he snagged a power line and subsequently snapped a power pole in half, disrupting power service to a motel and residents located within a several block area.
Hurricane Police Sgt. Brandon Buell said officers and emergency personnel responded just after 2 p.m. Thursday to reports of a power line down in the area of 677 W. 100 North. When officers arrived, they found a damaged power pole and a downed power line with the transformer still attached, Buell said.
The Hurricane City Power Department immediately dispatched an emergency repair crew to the affected area, working throughout the afternoon and early evening hours. Crews replaced the power pole and made necessary equipment repairs needed to restore power.
According to a written statement released by Buell, officers investigating the crash determined that the power line became entangled in the dump truck as the driver raised the truck bed in an attempt to unload it. The raised bed caught the power line overhead, which the driver didn’t realize.
The driver then attempted to pull the truck forward, but the entangled power line prevented the truck from doing so.
Unaware of the entangled line, the driver began accelerating to move the truck forward. Instead, the force of the truck’s movement snapped the power pole and brought down the line and transformer.
“Fortunately no one was injured,” Buell said, “or any further damage was caused.”
During the investigation, one of the responding officers was able to identify certain indicators that the driver was possibly under the influence, Buell said. The man was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence of prescription drugs and on a warrant.
No other damage or injuries were reported. Power was out for approximately six hours and has since been restored to those affected.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or other emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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I once saw a garbage truck coming out of a hotel garage with the bed still halfway up .
He caught the signage and the awning overhang ripping them all out .
I would Not want to have to explain That to a boss !
!
Well this is what happens when you have some Real Low Life behind the wheel