Just after 5:00p.m. Monday evening New Caney firefighters heard a loud crash outside their station on FM 1485. As they exited the building to investigate they found a Toyota Avalon had crashed into the power pole at the edge of their driveway. Inside this vehicle was 31-year-old Melori Whitfield of Humble. She was trapped under the dash and on the passenger side of the vehicle. As firefighters began to cut her out of the vehicle the main ground wire which mounts to the top of the utility pole fell into the charged lines below it.
Chief Jeff Taylor described the incident as Fourth of July in the daylight.
The lines fell further but snagged more power lines under it preventing it from dropping onto the firefighters and then blowing the fuse shutting the lines down. Firefighters completed the extrication.
MCHD transported her to Hermann Hospital in Houston in critical condition.
