Lebanon — Playing remote controls with the finesse of brain surgeons, crews from Zore’s Towing Service righted a Lebanon Utility line truck that toppled during a transformer replacement at Lebanon Middle School Tuesday.
Two gargantuan 10-wheel wreckers, one capable of lifting 85 tons and the other 75 tons, were used to first secure and then upright the line truck.
A mechanical failure may have caused the accident, Lebanon Fire Chief Ted Caldwell said.
Utility lineman Jesse Wilhoite suffered a broken wrist when he fell off the truck, said Lebanon Utility general manager Mike Martin. Wilhoite could have been seriously hurt when the line truck fell against a cinder block wall.
“We got lucky,” Martin said. “We’ll be investigating the cause.”
The crew was “as prepared as they could be” for the transformer swap, Martin said.
Monday, Martin said, the crew had determined how to replace an old transformer on the school’s west side, in a service area squeezed between an air handling unit and the wall.
“They’d planned and worked the plan when this freak accident happened,” Martin said.
As the old transformer was being lifted over the wall to be loaded onto a trailer, the boom “apparently over-rotated,” Martin said, tilting the truck’s left side into the air. Only the wall kept the truck from overturning.
A small dump truck carrying the new transformer had been moved between the school building and the line truck. Overhanging the dump truck’s bed was the left rear outrigger of the line truck.
Inches away from the dump truck’s front bumper was the natural gas supply line for the school, Caldwell said. Vectren Energy shut off the gas, but enough remained in the line to be dangerous, Caldwell said.
It took about three hours to right the line truck.
No events had been planned at the school, said Bob Ross, Lebanon Community School Corp. business manager.
The block wall will be torn down and rebuilt further away from the building.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Reporter photo by Rod Rose
Reader comments
Utility truck topples; one hurt
- Local News
-
-
Group considers balance between growth and farmland preservation
Wanted or not, development is coming to Boone County, and now is the time for the county’s residents to determine where and how that growth will occur.
-
Alleged meth dealer arrested in Lebanon
Diners at a Lebanon fast-food restaurant received a start when a suspected drug dealer was arrested at gunpoint in the parking lot.
-
Measles outbreak may include Boone
Two Boone County residents appear to have measles, while two Hamilton County residents — including at least one who visited the Super Bowl Village in Indianapolis on a day it was attended by about 200,000 people — have been confirmed as having the disease.
-
Skillman brings tour to county
Elected officials in Boone County are being proactive in “trying to address issues they know are coming down the road,” Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman said after meeting representatives of nine local governments.
-
County council field expands to 6
An incumbent at-large member of the Boone County Council will seek election to the board, while a sixth candidate has joined the field for the Republican Party’s nomination for the three at-large seats.
-
Stocking Up
The store is still hiring. “We are very excited to come to town,” said General Manager Jon Keller.
-
Communities evaluate success in bowl roles
While the world was focused on downtown Indianapolis in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, many outlying communities — including Lebanon and Zionsville — were also playing a role, taking care of visitors, working at the event or taking in the celebration leading up to the big game.
-
Thomas takes reins of learning network
The Boone County Learning Network is looking in a new direction with a new executive director, Michele Thomas.
-
Lebanon High School graduate turns Naptown Roller Girl
Indianapolis, sometimes called “Naptown,” is known for its NFL football team, Motor Speedway, and — on a good day — its basketball team.
-
Deputy-involved accidents down over last 5 years
Accidents involving Boone County Sheriff’s Office deputies have been falling steadily since 2008, insurance agent Dan Lamar told the county commissioners Monday.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Expert: Removing LA School's Staff 'Appropriate'
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
