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PennDOT plow truck crash causes power outage Wednesday near FCI-McKean

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A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation plow truck crashed around 3:13 a.m. Wednesday on Route 59 near the Federal Correctional Institution-McKean in Lafayette Township, causing a power outage to the surrounding area.

The plow truck was traveling along Route 59 when it left the road, struck a utility pole and flipped onto its side, Lafayette Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Don Fowler said Wednesday afternoon.

“It totaled the truck,” Fowler said. “The driver was lucky. One, because he could have been seriously injured from the accident, and, two, because the power lines he pulled down were still hot.”

Fowler said the driver was not injured in the crash.

After striking the first utility pole and knocking it down, the power lines pulled another telephone pole down.

“He broke the poles right where the power lines crossed over to the other side of the road,” Fowler said.

An unknown passing motorist did not see the downed power lines lying across the road and was trapped in his car for approximately two hours until Penelec could shut off the power, Fowler said.

The name of the plow truck driver or the cause of the accident was not available at press time, as the police report from Kane-based state police was unavailable.

Route 59 had to be closed between the intersection of U.S. Route 219 and Big Shanty Road.  Nine volunteers from the Lafayette Volunteer Fire Department provided traffic control from 3:15 a.m. to 12:18 p.m., Fowler said.

Penelec Spokesman Russell VanHorn said about 400 customers lost power due to the crash.

“We rerouted the power and got it back to about 250 customers by 6 a.m.,” VanHorn said. “The last 150 people or so had power again by 1 p.m.”

Representatives from FCI-McKean or PennDOT could not immediately be reached for comment.

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