ST. LOUIS, MO —
A worker has been electrocuted to death and over 400 Ameren customers are out of power near Fenton, MO, as the burned body of the poor victim short-circuited the network.
A boom truck hit a power line at around 10am near I-44 east of Mraz road. One person has died as a result of the accident. The victim is a contract worker for Ameren. He has not yet been identified.
The electrocution victim was apparently getting a core sample of the road for MoDOT. When he raised the boom to drill for a sample he hit a high power line. Investigators say the worker was killed instantly. The electricity from the line caught the back tires of the truck on fire.
A man working with the victim sought shelter. He was not injured but is very upset about the accident. The two had worked together for several years.
The incident caused the ground wire, which stretches across I-44 to snap. The ground wire plays an important role in distributing electricity to Ameren customers. Ameren closed the highway at around 1:15pm to install the new wire. They expect to restore power soon.
Businesses in the area are confirming power outages in the area. Traffic is being rerouted because signals are out of power.
That drill rig was way too close to the power lines. There must be at least 20-30 feet separation between the mast of the rig and the power lines. This death was avoidable. This poor driller was roasted to death, a very terrible way to end your life.
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FENTON, Mo. (KMOV.com) – A Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) contract worker was electrocuted on Interstate 44 Wednesday morning.
The worker was operating a truck at a power line when a piece of equipment struck the line, electrocuting him near the Soccer Park Road exit around 10 a.m., according to MoDOT officials.
One person was pronounced dead.
At least 400 Ameren Missouri customers were directly impacted by the incident, according to an Ameren spokesperson. Around 12:30 p.m., Ameren officials said power had been restored to a large number of the customers.
No other details have been released.
Stay tuned to News 4 and KMOV.com for more on this breaking news story.