Contractor Knocks Down Poles, Causing South Bay Power Outage

SANTA CLARA VALLEY, CA — A third-party contractor knocked down two power poles and damaged two others when using an excavator in Sunnyvale this morning, leaving more than 8,000 PG&E customers without power, according to a utility spokeswoman. The damage was reported at 10:55 a.m. at the intersection of North Pastoria Avenue and Del Rey Avenue and PG&E crews were on scene less than 15 minutes later, PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado said. The utility worked with fire crews to make sure the area was safe.

Tostado posted images on Twitter of the area where crews using the heavy construction equipment got the machine tangled in a communication line and drove it down.

The incident left 8,039 customers without power, but that number had been reduced to 79 as of about 1:20 p.m., she said.

Crews were setting up at that time to replace the two poles that were damage beyond repair and fix the two that could be salvaged.

The wires attached to those poles will be replaced or repaired as well.

By Bay City News Service

Photos courtesy Mayra Tostado/PG&E