A tragedy in northeast Portland left two adults and a teenager dead when a power line fell on their SUV. One of the dead, a teenager, was identified as Ta’Ron Briggs, a Milwaukie High School student who was in 10th grade. The school officially announced the loss in a letter sent to parents and students, expressing its commitment to providing support to anyone grieving the loss of Briggs.
Portland tragedy: Falling tree causes electrical shock, three dead, infant saved thanks to passerby
On January 17 at 11:45 a.m., authorities received a call about the incident and dispatched crews to the intersection of Northeast 122 and Northeast Siskiyou streets in the Russell Neighborhood.
According to Rick Graves with Portland Fire and Rescue, a tree branch fell and caught live electrical wires, causing the SUV to fall.
Two adults and a teenager got scared and got out of the car. Once they were on the ground, tragedy struck as the electrical discharge from the wire passed through the car, then through them and into the ground, resulting in their deaths.
It is known that a passer-by reacted quickly and saved the two-year-old baby, pulling him out of the hands of one of the adults, which allowed the child to survive the event. The child was taken to a local hospital for further examination.
When fire crews arrived on scene, they found the bodies approximately 35 feet from the vehicle.
Dameon Pesanti of Clark Public Utilities stresses the importance that people should always assume that electrical wires are live. You should never approach or touch them. If wires fall on your car, the best safety measure is to stay inside and warn everyone around you to stay away from the fallen wires. Also, do not touch the fallen wire. It is important to report downed wires to your utility company immediately. Call 911 only in case of a clear emergency.
Another unusual incident occurred in Portland. A part from a faulty Boeing fell into a local resident’s yard
After an Alaska Airlines flight made an unexpected emergency landing at Portland International Airport, authorities and local residents searched diligently for parts of a missing section of the plane and other debris.
The National Transportation Safety Board has announced it is looking for a so-called “drop door” – a panel that can be opened like a door from the outside of an aircraft. They speculated that it broke off over the Beaverton area or west Portland.
However, at 9 p.m., authorities said they found a door “plug.” A local Portland teacher also found the part in his backyard and provided several photos of the aircraft part.
Karen Donahue, who has lived in the area for 22 years, said she was shocked when she heard about the missing door and immediately searched her sprawling backyard on Sunday, hoping to find the wreckage. Despite an intensive search, no debris was found on her, but the incident left her nervous and worried.
“I had no idea that we were part of this story,” Donahue said. “We always knew we were on a flight path, but now it makes me even more nervous when I go to bed at night. I never imagined that a door could fly through my roof.”
“A piece of the fuselage falling from the sky could have hit a house, a car or a passerby,” says Deborah Saina.
Authorities and emergency services urge all residents to be extremely careful and strictly follow safety rules. If debris or any anomalies are found, immediately report it to local security or emergency services.