Hopkins utility pole death: Xcel Energy says it never got complaints about pole that killed man
HOPKINS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A memorial continues to grow for Kenny Green, who was killed when a utility pole fell and crushed his car outside a Hopkins apartment complex Sunday afternoon, bursting into flames on impact.
An ‘extremely uncommon’ and deadly fall
What we know:
Xcel Energy said on Friday that inspectors last checked the pole, which was installed in 1997, three years ago and found it had 93% strength. The company also said it never received any calls about that pole or any others in the area.
Xcel has since replaced the pole, but the cause of the original failure remains under investigation.
Google Street View images appear to show the pole leaning as far back as 2019.
What they're saying:
Structural engineer Pedram Mortazavi, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, pointed to that lean as a possible clue.
"There could have been an initial impact earlier on, which maybe was not reported, that could have caused the initial lean," he said.
But an earlier impact is not the only possible explanation.
"Sometimes, the soil around the base of it, due to different reasons, could lose its pressure, and then it's easier for the structure to get tilted and eventually topple over," said Mortazavi. "[It’s] Extremely uncommon, and it's one of the first times I have experienced or heard [of] something like this happening."
Community pushes for answers
Big picture view:
Minneapolis attorney Josh Newville wrote a letter to the Public Utilities Commission demanding answers. He said he is not an expert in this area but is an Xcel customer and wants accountability.
"Poles don't just fall over. No one hit it. I think that was reported right away," he said.
Newville said he wants the commission to go beyond simply taking Xcel's word for it.
"I'm hoping that the [Minnesota] Public Utilities Commission will dig into it and not simply accept Xcel's very self-serving statement that they inspected it, and it was compliant," said Newville.
In a statement, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission said: "The commission is not involved in directly investigating the cause of the pole falling. However, Xcel is required to report to the commission on an annual basis information related to the safety of their system, including any claims paid related to injury or property damage caused by their infrastructure."