A power line fell on a parked car in northeast Portland, Oregon Wednesday, killing three people and injuring a baby during an ice storm that led to myriad road closures and power outages.
Dispatchers began receiving anxious calls shortly before noon, reporting what appeared to be electrocuted people and a broken power line. A branch had fallen on a power line, forcing it to collapse onto an SUV, according to a statement sent by Portland Fire & Rescue via email to USA TODAY.
The authorities further stated that it appeared that the victims exited the vehicle before getting electrocuted.
Firefighters discovered the three people—two adults and a teenager—dead when they got to the site. In an attempt to save the baby’s life, a local removed the infant from one of the people who were lying in the street, and they were subsequently taken to the hospital.
The vehicle was inspected by the firemen and determined to be safe from fire hazards, thus no water was administered to any possible car fire, according to the fire department. Later, the line was de-energised by the power company.
Earlier this week, the city experienced freezing rain, which resulted in slippery roads and mountain roadways that made walking and driving practically challenging.
Many schools cancelled classes due to icy roads, while Oregon’s Department of Transportation shut down sections of the state’s roadways and sent ploughs to spread salt and sand.
As of Thursday morning, there were an estimated 41,000 outages in the Beaver State.
On Wednesday, warnings were issued for a substantial portion of the area; however, later in the day, they were limited to a small area in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.
However, the Weather Service issued a warning, stating that starting later on Thursday, the Pacific Northwest is forecast to see more freezing rain and significant mountain snowfall in the following days. Through Saturday morning, forecasters expected between a quarter- and half-inch of ice, and they issued advisories about hazardous driving conditions and power disruptions.
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