Downed Power Lines Strand Turf Valley Residents (Updated)

Updated 3:45 p.m.

Residents of the Turf Valley neighborhood are stranded at home today after a truck knocked down utility poles.

According to police, a dump truck tore the utility poles just before 9:30 a.m. Monday, blocking the street. The truck was also caught in the wires, according to police, but no injuries have been reported. 

Resident Linda Spencer said she heard what sounded like an explosion at the time of the crash. Then her power went out.

“Checking outside I saw a dump truck pointed south on Turf Valley Road, heavy power lines draped across the front of the dumper,” she said in an email.

“It appears that the driver had not lowered it after depositing a load of soil at the end of the street, where the extension of Resort Road is being built. I saw three toppled power poles and some large tree limbs split off lying across trees and on the ground.”

BGE spokeswoman Linda Foy confirmed that three poles were knocked down and service was interrupted to ten customers. Police had earlier reported four poles had been knocked down.

“Because we now have to install new poles, these customers may be out of service for up to eight hours while the damaged poles are removed and the new ones installed,” Foy said just after noon in an email.

As of 3:30 p.m., the road was still blocked, according to resident Marc Norman.

Norman, who has been actively fighting plans to develop additional housing units in the neighborhood, said some residents think today’s accident foreshadowed a future with increased development.