An SUV towing a patio boat snagged some overhead wires and snapped a power pole on Locust Street at about 2:30 p.m Saturday.
Redding police officers and fire crews responded within minutes and blocked off access to the 900 block of Locust Street at the Garden/Locust Street intersection, just outside a carpet store parking lot.
The middle-aged man behind the wheel of the diesel SUV appeared unhurt and remained in his vehicle with the engine off and windows down for a number of minutes at the request of law enforcement.
It was a hot and humid September day and the truck was stopped in full sun. The man sat quietly and occasionally wiped perspiration from his brow as he waited for law enforcement to advise him.
According to firefighter Jamie Harvey of Redding Fire Station No. 1, the most immediate concerns right after the crash were if the downed lines that were tangled on the patio boat’s railings were live or harmless. That’s why the driver was asked to remain in his SUV for a time, and why bystanders were kept away from the scene.
Harvey said the safety concerns in the area were compounded by an unsubstantiated report from a bystander who mentioned seeing possible sparks and smoke when the pole snapped and smashed upon the patio boat.
“Since we don’t know for sure,” Harvey said. “We’re being extra careful.”
Shortly before 3 p.m. the answer to the question about the status of the wires – hot, or just phone lines or guy wires – became apparent when an REU truck rolled up, an employee hopped out, approached the SUV’s driver window and spoke briefly with the man.
The driver opened his door and climbed out of his vehicle, where Redding police greeted him with questions.
The crash caused Saturday afternoon excitement in this Garden Tract neighborhood, where men, women, children and bicyclists watched and waited behind police car barricades. One man said all the phone lines were dead, and wondered how long it would take for service to return.
As an aside, the SUV’s license plate displayed a firefighter’s emblem, something that wasn’t lost on Harvey.
“He’s not one of ours,” He said with a grin.
