Metro Detroit Man Dies After Touching Power Line While Working: Police

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI — A man died Monday after he was electrocuted while working in metro Detroit, according to police.

The incident happened at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the 6700 block of Metropolitan Parkway in Sterling Heights, according to police.

Officials said the 41-year-old Grosse Pointe Park man was in a cherry picker doing landscaping work when he touched a power line and became unconscious. He was still in the air and touching the power line when officers arrived at the scene, police said.

He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was initially listed in critical condition before he later died, police said.

Officials did not release the man's name.

DTE Energy said they are working with investigators and reminded people to be careful around power lines.

"Always be sure to look up and know where power lines are located before beginning any outdoor project, particularly those involving working at high elevations and on ladders. If you are near a utility line and are unsure what it is, treat it as if it is energized," a statement from DTE Energy read.