Virigin Island Linemen Injured After Utility Pole Crash
Two linemen working for Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) were treated and released Jan. 5 from Schneider Hospital after the bucket truck they were driving crashed into a utility pole, according to a report by Virgin Islands Daily News.
Two linemen working for Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) were treated and released Jan. 5 from Schneider Hospital after the bucket truck they were driving crashed into a utility pole, according to a report by Virgin Islands Daily News.
The St. Thomas Source is reporting that the incident occurred around 6:13 PM after the employees lost control of the truck, striking a utility pole and overturning on a Solberg road on St. Thomas. The accident tripped five feeders offline and caused a power outage to portions of the island.
The cause is not yet known, but The Virgin Islands Daily News reports that the truck had “an apparent malfunction.” WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge Jr. said that the two linemen were smart to turn the truck into a bush when they realized it wasn't working properly and heading for a steep turn a few hundred yards away.
"Had they ended up in that turn, there was a good chance that the accident would have been catastrophic," Hodge said in a prepared statement.
The incident is currently being investigated by WAPA’s Safety Division.
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