WAIMEA — Four poles owned by the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative fell in Waimea town, Friday morning, one pole hitting a car and causing injury to its driver. He was being treated at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and the
WAIMEA — Four poles owned by the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative fell in Waimea town, Friday morning, one pole hitting a car and causing injury to its driver.
He was being treated at the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and the extent of his injuries were not known at press time.
One of the police officers manning a road closure at Ala Wai Road said the driver reported just coming out of the Waimea Post Office and noticed how strange the wires were acting.
He applied brakes and the pole came down on the car.
KIUC officials said the poles fell about 9:30 a.m. and power to the affected area was shut off at 10 a.m., affecting about 100 customers on Ala Wai Road, primarily residents.
Kaua‘i Police Department closed the Alawai Road at Kaumuali‘i Highway, entering Waimea from the Waimea Bridge, Panako Road fronting First Hawaiian Bank, Waimea Branch, and Waimea Road from Ala Wai Road until Menehune Road.
The reason for the poles falling has not been determined.
Two of the poles were located on Waimea Road directly across the Waimea post office and a third pole at one corner of Hofgaard Park at the intersection of Panako and Waimea Roads, the fourth being in Hofgaard Park itself near the concrete slab used for the West Kaua‘i Professional and Business Association’s Music in the Park series.
Additionally, another pole located at the intersection of Ala Wai and Waimea Roads appeared to be stressed and had one of the KIUC trucks supporting its load.
By 4:30 p.m., KIUC, joined by crews from Hawaiian Telcom and Time Warner Oceanic Cable, had replanted the fallen poles and were restringing the lines, said Shelley Paik of the KIUC Communications office.
“They’re restringing the lines and still need to rebuild the transformer banks, but are hopeful power can be restored by Friday night,” Paik said.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
