BOTKINS — Power lines had to be cut down, and a utility pole and transformer replaced after a semitrailer became entangled in the wires in the village of Botkins Wednesday afternoon.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office’s dispatch received a report a semi hit a power line at Huber Street at East Lynn Street in Botkins on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 3:47 p.m.
According to the crash report from Botkins Police Chief Tom Glass, Carl R. Waggoner, 39, of Hutchinson, Kansas, was operating a white 2018 Freightliner semitrailer northbound in the 300 block of Huber Street and was looking for a place to turn around when the top of his vehicle came in contact with DP&L and Century Link telephone wires. His trailer caught the lower hanging wires and ripped them down, along with a power pole with a transformer on it. The incident also caused damage to a tree in the 300 block of Huber Street. The vehicle sustained minor damage.
According to DP&L, 36 customers lost and had power restored in the Botkins area of Huber Street at East Lynn Street on Wednesday.
“We were there around 4 and had it all cleared by 10 p.m.,” said Mary Ann Kabel, DP&L director of corporate communications.
She reported DP&L began working on the snagged line at 3:50 p.m. By 5:21 p.m., Kabel said 34 customers had power restored, with the remaining 2 customers’ power restored at 10 p.m.
“Crews worked until 10 p.m. (Wednesday) night replacing the pole and transformer. A truck snagged the line, broke the pole, dragging the pole and transformer approximately 50 feet,” Kabel’s email said DP&L’s work.
No one was injured in the incident.
In addition to Botkins Police and DP&L, Botkins Fire and Anna Rescue also responded to the scene.
