Crane on timber train pulls down power poles, lines

MASON COUNTY, Wash. — A slow moving train moving through downtown Shelton caught a power line pulling down power poles in a two block area near downtown and knocking out electricity for about 700 homes and businesses.

It was about 10 Thursday when the train, leaving the Shelton Timber yard and carrying a log loader snagged the line near Colta street. As the train kept moving the power poles began snapping like twigs. “I was looking through my kitchen window and that big loader that was on the flatbed, I seen it catch one corner of the wire”, said eyewitness David Herman.  Herman said seconds later the poles came crashing down.

Power lines fell on a car being driven by a woman on Colta street. She was trapped in the car for nearly an hour as crews worked to free her. She was not hurt.

Joel Meyers with Mason County Public Utilities said crews immediately went to work restoring power to about 400 homes and businesses. “We have a number of crews that are working within a two block area to replace poles and all the equipment that are on the poles, so it was a good thing we had all our crews in place to come down and take care of this," said Meyer.

Chanelle Yorke came home early from work to find power lines draped over her house. Yorke laughed at the incident saying, “Oops, I mean accidents happen, it’s nobody’s fault, everybody has accidents at work sometimes. This just happens to be one that affects a whole lot of people.”

KIRO