Accident downs power line

Utility lines were knocked down across US-40 highway just west of the Douglas/Shawnee County line Wednesday evening when a car veered off the road to avoid a collision with the driver of a truck whose tire had blown out, said Shawnee County sheriff’s Cpl. Kelly Jordan.

Theo Hall, who was traveling west on US-40 in a 1987 Ford Mustang GT, rounded a corner as the tire on a GMC utility flatbed work truck traveling east blew out, causing the truck to veer into Hall’s lane. Hall, attempting to avoid a collision, swerved right, which took him off the road and through a fence, causing him to strike a guide wire on a utility pole. Due to the collision with the guide wire, the top of the utility pole snapped, bringing down the lines across the highway.

Hall’s vehicle then came to a rest in the yard of Laura Shoffner, 8126 US-40 Highway.

Shoffner said the corner is popular for accidents.

“Last year, something else happened,” she said. “A guy had a heart attack and ended up in my front yard.”

Shoffner’s neighbors have experienced similar stories.

“It’s part of this road I think,” she said. “We get a lot of traffic on it that I wish would go 70.”

Westar Energy was called to the scene to neutralize the power lines. Jordan was unsure of the effect of the downed lines, but thought it was minimal.

The identity of the driver of the utility truck was unknown at the time of the accident. Neither drivers sustained injuries.

Hall said he felt fortunate that he wasn’t injured, but he was disappointed about the condition of his car.

“I’ve had this car since 1990,” Hall said. “I was saving it for my son.”

Along with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and Westar Energy, American Medical Response, the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Shawnee Heights Fire District responded to the scene.

Adrielle Harvey can be reached at (785) 295-1285 or adrielle.harvey@cjonline.com.

By Adrielle Harvey