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Xcel pole under investigation after fatal accident
Investigators are still trying to figure out why a utility pole fell onto a car over the weekend in Hopkins, killing a 31-year-old man. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni has the latest.
HOPKINS (FOX 9) - A utility pole crushed a car and caused it to burst into flames outside a Hopkins apartment complex on Sunday afternoon, killing the man inside. Two days later, no one knows why it happened.
What caused the pole to fall?
What we know:
Hopkins police and Xcel Energy are still working to determine what caused a utility pole to fall onto a car on Sunday, killing a 31-year-old man.
Investigators have not been able to explain why the utility pole came down outside the complex on Blake Road North, but police have confirmed one thing: the driver did not hit it.
Dig deeper:
Nearly two years ago, FOX 9 got an inside look at how Xcel inspects its aging utility poles.
Crews do it five days a week, checking from the ground and using drones for aerial views.
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Utility pole falls on vehicle in Hopkins, 1 person dead
The Hopkins Police and Fire Departments are investigating after a utility pole fell on a vehicle Sunday afternoon, leaving one person inside the car dead. Sheku Koroma, a resident who witnessed the aftermath, shared this video with FOX 9.
By the numbers:
The average utility pole in Minnesota is 54, four years older than what Xcel considers its "useful life." Records show that after 60 years, the failure rate nearly triples.
What they're saying:
In a statement, Xcel Energy said, in part: "The pole was inspected recently and was in compliance with all required safety standards." But the company did not specify how recently the inspection happened, and the age of the pole was not immediately clear.
The Source: Previous FOX 9 reporting.