Cable installer's leg severed in St. Paul work accident
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
A cable installation subcontractor has been gravely injured in a freak accident in St. Paul just before noon on Wednesday, police said.
A cable installation crew was working near the intersection of Rice Street and Geranium Ave, and had a cable across the roadway, said Sgt. Michael Ernster, a public information officer with the St. Paul Police Department.
This is apparently a common practice as crews prepare to install the wire, and vehicles were allowed to drive across it, Ernster said in a statement.
But a passing vehicle, possibly a Metro Transit bus, snagged the wire as it drove over the line, police said.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
The vehicle pulled the cable tight, as it was still attached to a nearby spool. The cable ensnared a worker standing nearby, and the force of the cable being pulled caused him to collide into the side of a pickup truck on Rice Street, according to reports.
The cable was wrapped around his leg, and the tension severed one of his legs, around his knee.
Saint Paul Fire medics transported the male to Regions Hospital. The worker is expected to survive, Ernster said, and police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The worker is an employee of a subcontractor working with CenturyLink, according to preliminary information from SPPD.