Downed Power Line Kills 3 In New Jersey

1010Wins ^ | Nov 19, 2003 1:00 pm US/Eastern | 1010Wins

[Calpernia]

Three men were killed early Wednesday when they were electrocuted by a power line that had fallen on a vehicle, authorities said.

The men were electrocuted around 4:30 a.m. when one touched the vehicle and two others came to his aid, said Leslie A. Cifelli, a spokeswoman for Public Service Electric & Gas.

The names of the victims were not immediately available, as police did not return a message.

The PSE&G line provided normal residential service, carrying 13 kilovolts of electricity, Cifelli said.

The utility had gotten no calls about the downed wire and did not know how it came to rest atop the vehicle, she said.

[Calpernia]

This was in West Orange, NJ. What is left out of this blurb is, the car alarm went off. The guy came out of his house to check on his car. He didn't see the electrical wire on his car and was electrocuted when he touched it. The other two men were his cousins who ran over to help him. But, unfortunately they all died.

[martin_fierro]

The utility had gotten no calls about the downed wire and did not know how it came to rest atop the vehicle...

Maybe this guy's buddies know something about it.

[Ronin]

Shocking!

[AGreatPer]

What a way to go.

[Bogey78O]

Gov McGreevy welcomes his latest supporters and wishes a long fruitful voting experience.

[Frank_2001]

And the enviro-wackos want us to drive electric cars???;)

[mikegi]

What a terrible accident. How did this chain reaction end? Did someone see the cousins go down and realize that they were getting shocked?

[Calpernia]

I don't know. I will add onto the thread as more info comes out.

[JoJo Gunn]

1010WINS, huh? If it had been an SUV they'd somehow have managed to demonize it.

[jocon307]

"But, unfortunately they all died."

Unfortunately you say, and truly it is for them. Their consolation prize? Darwin awards for all!

[cyborg]

Today I heard on local news that the people called the utility company LAST WEEK to complain about sagging wires, and they never showed up. Hmmm... when I heard that, I said to myself I can hear the trial lawyers sharpening their knives.

[Skibane]

This was in West Orange, NJ. What is left out of this blurb is, the car alarm went off. The guy came out of his house to check on his car. He didn't see the electrical wire on his car and was electrocuted when he touched it. The other two men were his cousins who ran over to help him. But, unfortunately they all died.

How could anyone not notice a 13KV distrubution line laying across their car? Even if it wasn't arcing (which looks and sounds a lot like cluster bombs going off, BTW), he should have noticed the garden hose-sized cable slowly setting his Earl Scheib paint job on fire.

Darwin candidates, indeed.

[BBell]

>>>How could anyone not notice a 13KV distrubution line laying across their car? Even if it wasn't arcing (which looks and sounds a lot like cluster bombs going off, BTW), he should have noticed the garden hose-sized cable slowly setting his Earl Scheib paint job on fire.

Darwin candidates, indeed.<<<

Are you telling us you witnessed this happen? If not then shut the hell up!

[BBell]

Gee, lets look at the facts:

4:30 am, maybe it was dark.
electric wire down, maybe there were no lights
New jersy in November, maybe it was chilly.
A storm just passed through, maybe it was wet and who knows, a tree or 2,3, maybe 4 may have been down along with the branches that usually cover the ground when this happens

you don't know, do you?

[Calpernia]

I thought Darwin awards went to people who died while doing something stupid. How does inspecting your car qualify them for that?

[Calpernia]

We have a tree limb that was snapped during a tornado being held up by power lines. I've called about it twice, my neighbors have also called.

The tree limb is still hanging. To top it off, it is the same route children take to walk to the grammar school that is a block away.

No one has come to fix it. The children continue to walk right under it to go to school.

Gotta love PSE&G.

[Calpernia]

>>>How could anyone not notice a 13KV distrubution line laying across their car?

Number 1, it was 4:30am. That is dark. A report this morning says it was under his car.

So we don't know all the circumstances.

[Coleus]

Darwin candidates, indeed>>

I don't know about that, it was early am, they were sleeping and heard the car alarm go off then when they came out and saw the fire which probably blinding them a bit, then tried to put it out.

[Coleus]

What a shame, I felt so bad for the family.

[eastforker]

Most people do not have a clue what electricity can do nor do they understand basic principles of it.If you don't know what your doing,stay the hell away when a line goes down and if your buddy goes down for no apparent reason,don't try to rescue unless you know for sure of the cause and how to deal with it.