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You Must Make the Right Move if You Are in an Auto Accident Involving Power Lines Being involved in a traffic accident is traumatic enough, but if you are involved in a traffic accident that includes a power line draped across your vehicle then the trauma factor immediately jumps to a higher level. Your natural instinct, whether you are the driver or a passenger in the car, is to immediately flee the area. To do so would be the biggest mistake of your life. The safest thing you can do is to remain in the car until help arrives from the utility who owns the power lines. Let the linemen make sure the power line is not energized and safe for you to exit the vehicle. If you are able to back your vehicle out of the accident scene, which many times is not possible, then do so. Once the power line is no longer in contact with your vehicle the chance of your vehicle being energized has been eliminated. In late May, near the community of Carrollton, the bed of a dump truck became entangled in an investor-owned utilities power line. Instead of waiting in his truck until help arrived, the driver stepped down from the vehicle and was seriously injured as a result of the shock he received. Electricity is always trying to get to the ground and in this case, electricity was able to travel through the body of the truck driver to reach the ground. If you must evacuate the vehicle because of fire, there is a means in which to do so. If possible, open the door furthest away from the power line. Place both feet at the bottom of the door area and jump as far as you can. When you hit the ground, you must not be in contact with the vehicle. If you come across an accident involving a power line on a vehicle, stay clear of the scene until utility workers arrive. Do not touch the vehicle. Make sure anyone in the vehicle stays in the vehicle. |
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