Republic Services workers kept inside truck’s cab for an hour after dumpster touches electrical wires

A dumpster truck’s occupants were kept inside the cab for about an hour Monday evening after a dumpster the truck was unloading touched electrical wires.

A Republic Services trash truck lifted a dumpster into overhead electrical wires at about 5:30 p.m. on the corner of Paradise Road and Sierra Vista Drive, near East Desert Inn Road, the Clark County Fire Department said in a statement.

The Fire Department said responding firefighters kept the driver and a passenger inside the cab for about an hour until Nevada Energy de-energized the wires to prevent electrocution.

“Exiting the vehicle could have caused one or both of the occupants to be electrocuted and receive serious injuries,” Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Buchanan said.

Neither occupant was injured.

Nevada Energy spokesman Mark Severts said most vehicle-related power outages are caused by cars driving into poles. Seeing a vehicle come into direct contact with live wires is “extremely rare,” Severts said.

Drivers who come in contact with electrical wires should remain inside of the vehicle. Should an exit become necessary, Buchanan advises drivers to “jump completely free” of the vehicle with both feet together.

The Diplomat Apartments, 3478 Paradise Road, will be without power until Nevada Energy makes the necessary repairs.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.