A semi truck rolled into the ditch along Old Victoria Rd. on Monday, May 25 just after 12 p.m., causing extensive power outages in south Nanaimo. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

POWER OUT

Rolled dump truck causes significant downtown Nanaimo power outage

May 25, 2020 | 12:21 PM

NANAIMO — Thousands of BC Hydro customers were temporarily without power Monday afternoon due in large part to a dump truck roll over on Old Victoria Rd.

The incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. near Seventh St., shutting power off for roughly 1,500 customers for more than an hour.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) confirmed on scene there were no injuries.

NFR Capt. Bryun Ashlie told NanaimoNewsNOW the truck had its back box still raised after dropping a load and hit lines overhead, snapped a power pole in half, which forced the truck to roll.

“The driver got out okay, hydro lines weren’t impacted in terms of where he ended up on the road, but everything seems fine.”

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Ashlie said it was a fortunate conclusion given live power lines were dragged down the street.

He said multiple vehicles parked at Clay Tree Society may have been damaged by the tipped over truck.

Ashlie said they were waiting for BC Hydro crews to arrive on scene to shut off the power in order to safely get the truck upright.

Multiple witnesses rushed to scene after hearing a loud ‘bang’ noise in the area.

It appeared one or two vehicles in the Clay Tree Society parking lot were damaged by a rolled-over dump truck on Old Victoria Rd. Monday, May 25. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

BC Hydro estimated power to 85 Old Victoria Rd. customers would be restored Monday evening around 9 p.m.

A secondary outage near the turnoff to Cedar Rd. along Hwy. 19 briefly impacted another 400 hydro customers.

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