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CROSSVILLE, Ill. - A power line issue caused by a passing truck drew the attention of law enforcement Friday night as well as that of Ameren, who agreed that recent icy weather may have caused the line to sag.
White County Sheriff Doug Maier reports that Deputy George Spencer responded to a call at 8:20 p.m. Friday, January 19, after a report came in that there were power lines down across the roadway on the 400 block of Hamill Street in Crossville.
Spencer met with Robert Puntney, who advised he was inside his residence when he heard what he believed to be an explosion from outside the home. Puntney reported that his house shook, and he believed he saw fire outside.
When he exited the residence, Puntney said he observed that the power line leading to his garage was down across Hamill Street, and he stated that it appeared as though something had struck the line and pulled it down. He noted that he’d observed what he believed to be a large truck driving south on Hamill Street, and that he could identify it if he saw it again, so he left the scene to search for it while his wife notified Ameren about the downed line. Spencer remained on scene to secure the roadway and ensure no one came into contact with the downed line.
While waiting for Ameren to arrive, Spencer observed Robert A. Mullins, 53, arrive at his residence located just up the way on the 400 block of Hamill. So Spencer went to talk to Mullins and advise him of the situation. It was then Mullins stated that he was most likely the one who had struck the power line, as he had been driving his semi-tractor trailer down Hamill at approximately 8 p.m. Mullins did state, however, that he didn’t know he’d struck the power line; he advised that he had driven this vehicle down Hamill a number of times and had never struck the line before. He asked if the lines had somehow been made to sag because of the weather.
Ameren arrived and advised the line leading to the garage was not theirs, but was actually Puntney’s line. Puntney was able to disconnect the line, and Ameren cut it so it could be removed from the roadway. After observing the service box for the damaged line, Puntney advised that the box appeared to have exploded after the line was struck. Puntney stated he would have an electrician observe the damage on Saturday and then begin the process of replacing and repairing the damaged areas. The Ameren employee on scene advised it was possible the line had been lower than required, and Spencer advised that this could be due to sagging caused by recent icy conditions.
Since the truck had been parked at Brown’s Feed and Chemical, Spencer contacted them to advise he would need a copy of the insurance for the vehicle driven by Mullins, and they stated this would be provided. An incident report was made and it appears no citations have been issued.