A provincial transportation and works truck driver was trapped in his truck for nearly two hours Tuesday after his truck pulled down electrical wires and cracked off a utility pole that also held a transformer.
The incident happened at the Foxtrap weigh scales when the driver left the box up on his truck while passing under some wires. The box then hooked communication wires attached to the pole, cracking off the top of the pole where the transformer and electrical wires were located.
St. John’s Regional Fire Department platoon chief Dean Foley told the Telegram that even though only the communication wires were left draped over the truck, the electrical wires fell close enough to the truck for them to treat the scene as if the ground were energized. That meant power had to be cut before the truck driver could be allowed to exit his vehicle.
Workers with Newfoundland Power were called to the scene to make the area safe and the driver was able to exit the vehicle without incident.
The RCMP, RNC and officials with occupational health and safety also attended the scene.
The driver was not injured.
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