Cheap Thrills on my street

[cliffrod]

I was typing a post a minute ago, heard a big truck come to a sorta-typical crunch-thump stop out front. I hoped it was the delivery truck I was expecting with some new green wheels for sharpening carbide tools.  Nope.  It was a different truck, having a not so beautiful day in the neighborhood in front of my next door neighbor's house.   

Pretty soon, a couple more trucks showed up, so I took a pic of them from the bottom of the driveway before walking to the end of the driveway to take one more of the wrecked truck, still hanging in the lines-





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He's not hurt and we obviously didn't lose power, but the lines below the power line are wrecked.  We had two truck hit these lines last summer and several others over  the years.  But nothing like this time- This is a new record.  feel bad for the driver.  We've filed numerous complaints about getting the lines better marked or raised with no success.  Maybe now things will change.

[Tom]

Sounds like better signage is needed.

[Old Jock]

Nothing to add as it's not a problem we tend to have that much in the UK although it does happen now and again, a lot more of our cables are buried, although not everywhere especially in rural areas.

It reminded me of when I was testing an engine in Jordan, the site was up in the hills in the middle of nowhere, it was nearly always raining (when it wasn't snowing) and cold.

Anyway we were in, yet another,  meeting with the customer and there was an almighty bang like thunder, very close, really loud and sharp.

We all piled outside to see a mobile crane with his jib up between the HV lines, the driver was paniced and started to try to move the jib clear BOOM!! This time the thunder is accompanied by the lightning flash too.

No idea what the line voltage was.

This was then repeated as he tried yet again despite everybody screaming at him to stop

The driver was really spooked by this time and making moves to jump from the cab, but after more screaming to stay in the cab, he did.

Probably about 10 minutes later the line was isolated and earthed (it seemed to take forever at the time).

There didn't seem to be any protection on the line, or if there was it wasn't working. I was shaken by the whole thing but everything ended up fine and the only casuality was the crane driver's trousers.

[chuck peterson]

This was a real bizarre scene...i come upon a truck, stopped. A huge overhead branch fell betwixt cab and trailer....”ah, boss?...I got a problem..”










sea doo spark photos

[trippah]

Dream on about the improvement.  For 6 years I walked thru a four way intersection going to and from secondary and then high school.  I don't know, maybe a dozen real serious accidents (ambulance and tow trucks).  On one occasion the state (of Massachusetts) engineer was there taking measurements and phots.  I  asked him given so many accident why not put in traffic lights.  His response...".no one has died here yet".
Ah well  p.s.  snowflakes here in central NY this morning.

[Rough Edge racing]

Power Lines Over Streets and Roadways With Commercial Traffic. For any driveways, alleys, roads, or streets likely to carry vehicles more than 8 feet in height are required  to be 18 feet at lowest point

[cliffrod]

I'm not holding my breath about changes.  We've been here 17 yrs this month.  Our street is a short horseshoe (1/2-ish mile) through an old subdivision, not a commercial or even lined two lane road.  But there's increasingly regular traffic of straight and occasional 18 wheel delivery trucks with lift gates.  The phone lines are buried.  The power transmission line is at least 18' high at the top of the poles.  The others aren't and likely will never be.

When I'm working down back in the shop or studio, I usually hear a turbo start to spool up as they come towards our place, then instant brakes in front of our driveway as soon as they see the lines.  Then silence.  so I'll walk up and see...  The lower wire (cable service, so no issue for us) will break or get snagged on the top of the trailer or box.  This time the lowest wire broke and the next other hooked just right to peel open the box on this truck.   Hate seeing a driver end up with the ticket or damage.

The bottom wire was already low from the two hits last summer when the support cable was broken.  I warn any taller trucks that I'm expecting before they get here.  We're careful and have never had a problem.

[Ratso88]

I used to go under a rail overpass every day to and from work. The overpass was very low, something like 11 feet and barely wide enough for the two lanes, built in 1921 according to the date cast into the concrete overpass. Seems a few times a year there would be a semi tractor trailer trying to back up the half mile or so to where they could attempt a U-turn. Once or twice a year there would be the top of a bob tail or box van laying beside the road. Once saw a dump truck towing a large backhoe that had run through the ditch on the right side of the road and almost top the embankment for the rail line. Another time a rental truck was wedged under the rail overpass.

Now the road was clearly marked or the low bridge coming up, the first sign was three miles back, large yellow/black. Sometimes we miss important details.

Power lines are hard to spot.