Macomb Co. road crew worker shocked by power surge

A Macomb County Department of Roads worker was shocked and seriously injured Thursday morning when power surged through his work truck in Armada Township, according to the county sheriff's office.

The incident occurred around 10:40 a.m. on Armada Center just east of True, Lt. John Michalke said.

"The crew was installing a guard rail on the north side of Armada Center Road and they were using a boom (attached to the work truck)," he said. "Electricity jumped from a wire above to the boom of the truck and charged the truck and trailer. The guy that was touching the trailer received a jolt."

The 38-year-old Mount Clemens resident was "attached" to the vehicle as electricity raced through him, according to officials.

"While the man was attached to the trailer, another employee tackled him, removing him from the trailer," officials said in a statement. "He and another employee began to give the injured man CPR until medical first responders could arrive."

The crew was using the boom to suspend the rails prior to installment, officials said. It became close enough to the wire to allow an electrical surge to "jump" to the boom.

Sheriff's deputies and fire officials responded to the accident scene and the injured man was rushed by ambulance to McLaren-Macomb Hospital.

"He's in stable condition, so we're thankful for that," Macomb County Deputy Executive Mark Deldin said Thursday afternoon.

Other workers at the scene also felt the electrical surge but did not require medical attention, according to Michalke.

The road was closed Thursday afternoon for an investigation to be conducted by deputies and representatives with DTE Energy, officials said. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) also has been notified.

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