Dump truck collision causes power outage in Mason City (PHOTOS)

MASON CITY – A dump truck mis-hap caused a serious problem in Northeast Mason City Friday morning.

According to police, today, around 10:32 AM, a dump truck was driving near the intersection of 4th Street and North Delaware with its bed raised. As the truck went through the intersection, the raised dump bed snagged on some wires, causing a power outage.

The truck driver, Cory Reuter, of Waterloo, IA was cited for excessive height. Alliant Energy and Mediacom utilities were called to make repairs. Power was briefly knocked out for several blocks.

Police said that it’s unknown at this time what the damage amount or repair costs are.

Around 10:30 am, Fareway lights went off and a bystander said “nobody knew what was going on. The Fareway manager told his clerks, ‘You have ten minutes to get everybody checked out.'”

Others told NIT that outside Fareway on 4th Street and North Delaware, a dump-truck had the bed half raised. The driver had turned east at the stoplight with the bed fully raised, but after hitting the electrical lines, tried to bring it down. This caused more damage, with a witness explaining what it sounded like. “It was the sound of a loud, spring breaking. Boooiiiiiiiiiiinnnnn.”

A Fareway employee said, “I saw him do it. I was thinking to myself, he isn’t going to go through the stoplight with it up, is he? and sure enough, he did. Then he backed up and more came down.”

Powerlines were down in the middle of the stoplight intersection at 4th Street and N. Delaware. City workers were helping direct traffic to avoid live wires.

Mason City Public Works Dept., Alliant Energy, Mediacom, City of Mason City Engineering Dept. and Mason City Police Department were at the scene.