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"The best thing to do is stay in your car, call 911 if you have a cell phone, and wait until the cops/fire dept. arrive. They will tell you when the power line has been de-energized and it's safe to get out. "

I'm an engineer with lots of experience in the power industry. In a situation like that, nobody should put their life in the hands of a cop who wouldn't know a power line from a TV cable line. The guy who gets out of the power company truck wearing the white hardhat is the only one whose word means anything in those situations.

The police and fire departments work in conjunction with a utility company to ensure that the public is kept away from downed power lines. They also work closely with the utilities to ensure and the lines/equipment are de-energized so they can be repaired, fires can be safely extinguished, people can be rescued from cars,etc. This isn't rocket science.

Most utility companies have "bat phones" which connect the fire/police dispatch centers with the utility operations centers/radio rooms. The operations centers talk to each other constantly by radios and phones ensure no mistakes are made. I's called coordinated disaster planning, and it's been going on successfully for years, probably decades.

Police and fire departments receive regular training (usually from the utility companies themselves) on how to handle public safety situations involving electric utilities. If a policeman or fireman ever told a civilian to get out of the car without authorization from the utility, he would probably be severely disciplined or fired.