October 24, 2018—Rumors swirled around Excelsior Springs and Richmond that a fatality collision temporarily shut down a portion of Missouri Highway 10 Monday.
Instead, a dump truck bed struck an overhead power line, causing a power outage and traffic to come to a dead stop near the Excelsior Springs Airport.
Wood Heights Fire Protection District Fire Chief Lee O’Dell said crews dispatched shortly before 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 to an outside fire at Missouri Highway 10 and Doniphan Lake Road. While attempting to get to the station, crews came upon the scene.
“A dump truck, whose bed had struck an overhead power line, [was] being pushed by the asphalt company,” O’Dell said.
O’Dell said crews found the powerline broken on top of the dump truck while the driver remained inside the vehicle, unharmed.
“Due to the danger of the power line possibly recharging, we waited for Ameren to arrive on (the) scene and secure the power line,” O’Dell said. “We closed the road until they arrived.”
The downed line caused a small grass fire in the grassy area of the highway, which crews extinguished.
“[The] driver got out, unharmed once the power line was secured by Ameren personnel,” O’Dell said.