x
Breaking News
More () »

Power poles that collapsed in south Seattle were inspected 3 years ago

Engineers are examining 26 power poles that came crashing down on Friday afternoon. Seattle City Light's CEO says none of the poles were outside their identified lifespan.

SEATTLE — The CEO of Seattle City Light says more than two dozen power poles that collapsed near the Museum of Flight underwent a "full inspection" three years ago.

The Seattle Times reports Debra Smith in an interview says some poles were replaced in 2016 and others were due to be replaced within five years but there were none outside of their identified life span.

Engineers are examining the 26 snapped wooden poles for clues as to why they failed Friday afternoon.

They also will try to determine how to rebuild lines west of the huge roadway.

The toppling of an entire row of poles trapped two people inside a car. One pole smashed through their windshield.

RELATED: 'Thankful we're alive': Couple trapped by downed power pole speaks out

Some people who work nearby speculated that rotted wood broke during spring wind gusts.

Before You Leave, Check This Out