Published May 18. 2017 02:46PM
There is a way for a person to get out of car safely after a crash involving downed wires, but it's tricky.
Doug Haupt, a damage prevention specialist with PPL Electric Utilities, gave the instructions at the Live Line Electrical Safety Exhibit Monday at the Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Department.Haupt said that if the person has to get out of the vehicle due to other dangers, then the person should stand on the door jam without touching the vehicle's frame. With feet together and knees bent, he or she should jump away from the frame."It doesn't have to be a long-jump record," Haupt said.Land with the feet beside each other and don't fall down, he said. If the feet are apart with one foot in front of the other, then it is possible for each foot to touch a different ground gradient and complete a circuit. This would shock the person.Once the person has landed and is stable, then he or she should shuffle the feet no farther than a heel-to-toe distance until reaching a 35-foot perimeter around the crash. A normal walking gait could cause the feet to be in two different ground gradients and result in shock.Haupt also advised that if there is a gas smell, do not use a cellphone nearby because it could spark a fire.