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Power restored after tractor-trailer crash in Manhattan Beach causes outage

Photo Apr 29 2024, 12 20 52 PM
The driver of a tractor-trailer tore down eight telephone poles and at least two transformers during a Monday morning crash, leaving the street littered with wires and debris — and hundreds of local residents without power. As of Tuesday morning, power had been restored, energy company reps said.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

Crews worked through the night to restore power for Manhattan Beach residents after a tractor-trailer crashed into multiple telephone poles and ripped down power lines on Monday.

Power was restored as of Tuesday morning, Con Edison representative Alan Drury confirmed to Brooklyn Paper.

Details of the crash remain unclear, but police say the collision occurred near the corner of Oriental Boulevard and Irwin Street at around 10:30 a.m. on April 29. The driver of the truck — who fled the scene — tore down eight telephone poles and at least two transformers, leaving the street littered with wires and debris. 

One downed transformer caught fire, according to the FDNY, and leaked hazardous Polychlorinated Biphenyls, or PCBs, into the roadway, drawing a response from 60 firefighters and paramedics. The fire was brought under control by 12:35 p.m. and one person was treated for minor injuries on the scene. 

Con Edison crews work to repair the damage left in the 18-wheeler’s wake.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell

“This is insane and crazy, the truck was backing up, I heard a loud crash and suddenly saw wires everywhere,” said local resident Olga Ivanovich.

The crash left an estimated 382 households across six blocks without electricity, with the outage reportedly spanning Oriental Boulevard from Falmouth to Jaffray Street.

There were no reported injuries and the investigation remains ongoing, cops said Tuesday. The identity of the driver is still unknown.

This isn’t the first time a large vehicle snagged a utility wire and pulled down a telephone pole in the area. Last spring, the driver of a tractor-trailer crashed into a power line in nearly the same location, at the corner of Oriental Boulevard and Langham Street, according to CBS News.