A Mansfield man had a terrifying brush with disaster Friday when a utility pole collapsed onto his truck during a severe hail storm, sending an electric shock through the vehicle while he was still inside.
Eric Jones was driving along Cannon Drive near Mansfield High School when the storm intensified and a powerline came crashing down onto his truck. The impact sent a jolt of electricity through part of the vehicle as Jones sat inside, leaving him shaken but physically unharmed.
“I saw blue and I was making sure I was still here” Jones recalled describing the moment of impact. His first instinct after the incident was to call his wife to let her know what had just happened.
Jones said the size of his truck likely saved him from more serious harm. Because the vehicle kept him elevated off the ground the electrical charge did not pass through his body. “Thankful that I was in a big enough vehicle that it was able to withstand the weather and I was off the ground” he said.
A dash camera mounted inside the truck captured the entire incident on video. The footage shows the chaotic moment the pole came down and struck the vehicle during the storm.
The truck sustained minor damage including a long dent along the side where the powerline made contact. Jones also noted that his radio no longer works following the strike. Fortunately the lawn care equipment he carries for his business remained undamaged and operational.
Jones said that had he been positioned any closer to the pole when it fell the outcome could have been far worse. The physical evidence of the incident was still visible along Cannon Drive as late as Sunday.
Despite the scare Jones is counting his blessings. “Somebody was looking out for me above 100 percent” he said reflecting on how close the situation came to turning tragic.
Friday’s severe weather brought dangerous conditions across parts of the DFW area including damaging hail and high winds that downed utility infrastructure in Mansfield and surrounding communities. Residents are urged to stay off the roads during severe weather events and to avoid downed power lines at all times as they remain potentially lethal even after a storm passes.