Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 5, 1994 TAG: 9403070114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The truck, driven by Kermit J. Cockerham of Hillsville, hit a car stopped at the intersection, veered off the road and clipped the pole, snapping it near the bottom, said Sgt. J.R. Ratcliffe of the Roanoke Police Department. No one was injured.
The 12:20 p.m. accident initially cut power to 1,797 customers, but service quickly was restored to all but 406 people, said Victoria Ratcliff, administrative assistant for Apco's Roanoke Division.
A crew from Pikeville, Ky. - contracted by Apco to help repair damage from the storm - was dispatched to Orange Avenue. The crew was working in the Yellow Mountain Road Southeast area Friday when the wreck occurred. Tim Rogers, an Apco Roanoke Division line mechanic with the Pikeville crew, said he had been working for 40 hours straight at 8 p.m. Friday.
"I was supposed to get a break when we finished [in the Yellow Mountain Road area]," he said. "It really is a mess out here."
When he first heard about the accident, Rogers said, "I was just hoping it was something simple."
Power was restored to the remaining 406 customers at 8:30 p.m.
Cockerham was charged with failure to maintain proper control of his truck, police said.
\ STILL WITHOUT POWER\ As of 9 p.m. Friday, according to Appalachian Power Co.\ \ In the company's Roanoke Division, which includes the Roanoke Valley, and Franklin, Henry and Patrick counties, 27,323 customers still had no power.
\ In the company's Pulaski Division, which includes the New River Valley: 14,772 customers remained without power.
\ In Montgomery/Floyd counties: 8,525 customers were out.
\ In Wythe/Bland counties: 2,850 customers.
\ In Pulaski County: 2,151 customers.
\ In Giles County: 150 customers.
\ In the company's Lynchburg Division (at 4 p.m.): 6,680 customers were out.
by CNB