Snowstorm Accident Oddly Helps Utility Cover Cost of New Truck

The Lansdale Electric Department will actually be able to benefit from a snowstorm-related truck accident last month, according to the Montgomery Media.

During the March 5 snowstorm, Electric Superintendent Andy Krauss lost control of his department pickup truck while navigating a bend in the road and hit a utility pole. He had only minor injuries, but the 2010 pickup truck was totaled.

On the brighter side, the insurance money ($30,000) from the totaled truck will now actually help pay for the cost of two new vehicles for the department: a new meter van for roughly $22,000, and a Ford Escape SUV employees can use for travel to local meetings and long-distance training, reported the news source. The department was originally going to buy another used model to replace its 15-year-old meter van with the $10,000 budget for 2015. But combining that with $30,000 in insurance money led the department to take a new look at its fleet needs, deciding to use an extra $4,300 that had not been budgeted to buy the two new vehicles.

Both new vehicles will be purchased through state joint bidding contracts, according to the Montgomery Media.