Four utility poles toppled after semi hit power lines in Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) — A semi-truck struck power lines on East Broadway Wednesday morning, causing four utility poles to come crashing down in the middle of the street.

Neighbors between Richford Street and Oakdale Avenue said they heard a loud crash around 11 a.m.

“I just heard a big, loud noise. I thought they had broken into my house. I’m like, ‘What’s going on?’” one neighbor said.

John Alexander, owner of Comis Nite Club, said the scene looked chaotic.

“It did look like a war zone. Telephone poles all over; wires everywhere,” Alexander said.

His business lost power once the wires went down.

“It’s been a rough day for us with no power. Our kitchen is shut down. Our beer is getting warm. No one wants a warm cocktail after work,” Alexander said.

Alexander said despite the circumstances, they continued serving customers.

“We got our large coolers out of our storage, and we filled them with ice and beer and tried to keep everything cold,” he said.

Francisco Aguilar, who lives nearby, said many neighbors rushed outside immediately after the accident.

“That was crazy. I was kind of scared,” Aguilar said.

“We were all talking to each other. Some of us lost power. I didn’t have those problems. I was just more shook by the whole thing,” he said.

Traffic was re-routed around the portion of East Broadway as Toledo Edison crews worked to fix the poles and power lines.

“We were lucky no one got hurt. The truck driver got out of his truck, apparently. It could have been a bad situation that actually turned out fairly well as far as no one getting hurt,” Alexander said.

A Toledo Edison spokeswoman said there was no official update. Employees at Comis Nite Club said their power came back on around 5 p.m.

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