HANCOCK COUNTY — An electrical worker is expected to fully recover from injuries he sustained after leaping from a burning bucket truck Tuesday evening, according to a utility spokesman.
David Spencer, director of marketing and public relations for NineStar Connect, said electrical contractors were working for NineStar in the 300 block of East County Road 1000N. Spencer did not release the name of the contractor’s company by press time Wednesday. He said the incident occurred while two of the company’s workers were up in a bucket truck navigating through a large number of power lines in preparation for replacing a utility pole.
At around 5:53 p.m., a piece of equipment was used in a way that created an arc of electricity, which threw a breaker and shut off electricity to about 175 NineStar Connect members in the area, Spencer continued.
The workers thought they were OK at first, Spencer said, but soon noticed the bucket they were working in started to smolder and catch fire from the arc’s sparks.
Spencer said the arc also threw off aluminum that may have severed the bucket’s hydraulics, causing oil to spill and worsen the flames as the workers attempted to lower themselves. A worker on the ground pressed a release button on the back of the truck that lowered the bucket from 30 feet to 15 feet before the two workers in the bucket jumped, he continued.
Neither of the workers were burned but one suffered injuries to his legs in the jump, Spencer said, adding he’s being treated and is expected to make a full recovery.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our contractor, and we’re glad things didn’t turn out worse than they did,” Spencer said.
The bucket on the contractor’s truck mostly melted away, Spencer said.
He said power was restored in the area by around 9 p.m.
The Green Township Fire Department, Vernon Township Fire Department, Fortville Police Department and Hancock County Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident, according to information released by the Hancock County 911 office.
