MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - A utility worker in Melrose was left trapped by live wires on Monday afternoon after the pole he was working on snapped and toppled to the ground, officials said.
Emergency crews responding to Emerson Place found the worker pinned under the pole and covered by the wires, according to Melrose police and fire.
“It sounded like a tree coming down,” a concerned neighborhood resident said. “We heard the pole come down and just called 911. Unfortunately, there was a utility worker on the ground.”
The worker, whose name has not been released, was freed from the wreckage after National Grid cut power to the area.
He was then loaded into an ambulance and transported to Mass General Hospital with serious injuries. There was no immediate word on his condition.
Officials called the incident a “freak accident,” saying it was “only a matter of time” until the rotted pole buckled to the ground.
“It could have been a lot worse,” Fire Capt. Matthew Brammer said. “The companies did a great job regarding the live wires, the right situation down there and where he was stuck wasn’t easy.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified.
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS for updates online and on-air.
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