Skip to main content

Tree-trimming truck snags phone lines on Cedar Street, flips over

By Howard B. Owens

UPDATED THROUGHOUT AT 10:45 a.m.

The crew of a tree-trimming truck apparently forgot to lower the boom on the cherry picker after leaving the County Highway yard on Oak Street this morning.

The boom snagged phone lines on Cedar Street and the truck flipped on its side.

There were no injuries and no other vehicles involved, but it took a team of tow-truck drivers more than an hour to hoist the piece of heavy equipment back on its side.

"That picker should be all the way down and in place," said Officer Ed Mileham, who investigated the accident. "The guys that were working outside didn't put it down."

The truck was marked "Nelson Tree Service, Inc. Dayton, Ohio." The crew is apparently working on a project trimming trees under contract with National Grid and had dumped a load of wood chips at the county yard before heading out to other work.

Two heavy wreckers had to be called in so that one could lift while the other pulled. The crew managed to gently lower the truck back on its wheels, causing no further damage to the vehicle. 

Crews were on scene to deal with hydraulic liquid and oil that leaked from the truck.

Mileham said no citations would be issued.

The phone and cable lines did not appear damaged by the accident.

More pictures after the jump:

Timothy Hens

Truck was a private contractor working for National Grid. They had dropped a load of wood chips at the County Highway Department. The bucket boom had to be raised in order to unload their chip box. The truck operator never lowered the boom after leaving the facility and got caught up in overhead wires on Cedar Steet just south of the railroad overpass. The boom being tangled caused the vehicle to flip onto the driver side. The wires and poles did not come down. A County Highway employee tried to flag the driver down, but they had gotten too far down the driveway.

Feb 4, 2010, 10:06am Permalink

Authentically Local