Oversized truck strikes power lines, pulls down pole in Corona

A truck carrying an oversized load through Corona without a permit Thursday, Jan. 3, ripped down live power lines that fell on top of an occupied truck, but no one was reported hurt, authorities said.

The incident closed Railroad Street between North Garfield Avenue and North Lincoln Avenue from about 2:15 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A commercial truck with a trailer was hauling a water chiller from Los Angeles to Desert Hot Springs when it encountered trouble, Corona police Officer Tobias Kouroubacalis said. The oversized load topped out at 17 feet high, and it struck Southern California Edison electrical lines, pulling down a pole.

The falling pole ripped the lines from two houses, and the lines fell on a second truck. The driver stayed inside until an Edison crew could cut the power, Corona fire Battalion Chief Robert Peterson said. Had the driver stepped outside, he could have been electrocuted by touching the ground and the truck at the same time, Peterson said.

The driver was cited for failing to have a permit to drive an oversized load through the city, Kouroubacalis said. When a permit is issued, a public works department employee will map out a route and a time for the truck that is considered safe, Kouroubacalis said.