CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) – A man was shocked and had to be hospitalized after he tried to help a tow truck driver who crashed into a power pole and took down power lines in Chula Vista.
At around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, emergency crews were called to Industrial Road, near Oxford Street, in response to a reported crash near MTS trolley tracks.
ABC 10News learned a driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his tow truck through a fence and into a power pole, causing power lines to come down onto the ground and onto MTS trolley power lines.
Two people who witnessed the collision came to help, but during the effort, one of them was shocked by an electric current.
After San Diego Gas & Electric and MTS deenergized their respective live power lines, emergency crews carefully assisted the shocked man and transported him to UC San Diego Medical Center for treatment. The man was responsive and talking to emergency responders before he was taken into an ambulance.
The tow truck driver was rescued and was taken to the hospital for treatment. He was expected to be OK.
Hundreds of SDG&E customers were left without power during the ordeal; the SDG&E Outage Map showed service was expected to be restored by 5 p.m.
