VIDEO: Rescue operations for a young adult male with live power lines on his pickup truck on Rand Road west of Arlington Heights Road near Trader Joe’s.
Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 9:25 PM Wednesday to a report of crash with injuries in front of Trader Joe’s, 17 West Rand Road Arlington Heights, IL. Police and firefighter/paramedics received a report that a pickup truck hit a utility pole, and that the driver appeared injured in the truck.
Witness reported a transformer on a nearby pole was sparking, and power lines were down around the truck.
Firefighter/paramedics arrived on the scene and immediately requested ComEd to expedite to the scene for downed power lines on a pickup truck with a driver inside. Firefighter/paramedics also warned all other responding units to beware of the downed power line hazard. Firefighter/paramedics were not able to rescue the young male driver until there was confirmation that the power lines on the truck and the power lines surrounding the truck were de-energized.
The transformer was also down on the ground next to the vehicle after falling from the crash.
Firefighter/paramedics reported the driver was conscious. They reported that they had verbal contact with the driver and that they advised the driver to stay in the vehicle. Firefighter/paramedics confirmed that the driver understood the firefighter/paramedic’s commands.
Firefighter/paramedics staged at a distance from the crash scene, and police evacuated the parking lot where customers and employees were leaving stores that had just closed.
ComEd arrived on the scene about 9:48 p.m. ComEd workers immediately went to work checking circuit breakers and apparently worked to de-energize the lines if necessary. One worker went up on a bucket and checked lines for current before giving firefighter/paramedics the go ahead to remove the patient from the pickup truck. Power was cut to the area, the area went dark, and firefighters/paramedics approached the vehicle with the gurney.
Firefighter/paramedics had patient contact with the driver about 10:16 p.m. and immediately transferred the patient from the vehicle to the ambulance. The driver was transported to Northwest Community Hospital.
The driver was not suspected of DUI. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
A power outage occurred in the immediate area. A high number of ComEd customers were not interrupted but experienced a short instant of flickering lights when the crash occurred.
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