Forklift mishap brings power lines down on, around cars

A semi truck carrying forklift brought two power lines down across traffic in Spokane Valley this afternoon. Just before 3 p.m., Avista received a call that there were downed lines across vehicles at Dyer Road and Alki Avenue, said Avista spokeswoman Debbie Simmock. The forklift on the flatbed of the semi caught a telephone line that brought together two power lines, said Jeff Bordwell of the Spokane Valley Fire Department. The line came down on top of one vehicle and around another, so that people inside of both vehicles could not exit for about 30 minutes, Bordwell added. The people trapped called 911 with their cell phones, and the call was forwarded to Avista. An Avista crew “de-energized” the lines so they no longer carried electricity. No one was injured, and the two cars had minimal damage, Bordwell said. As of 4:30 p.m., 10 Avista customers didn’t have power due to the downed lines.