According to WSMV-TV, a 9-year-old boy has died at a Nashville hospital after he was struck by a downed power line on Halloween night.
The station said that Christopher Ellison was either riding or walking his bicycle around 9:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Charles E. Davis Boulevard when he encountered the live power line. Investigators told WSMV that the power line had been knocked down by a tree limb and high winds.
Ellison reportedly came across the line that was lying in his path. “The wire was swinging, and it was sparking fire. Every time the wind blew, the wire sparks fire,” neighbor LaTonya Brown told WSMV.
First-responders to the site had to secure the power line before they could aid Ellison, who was given CPR. Ellison was transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where he died a short time later.
“Everybody was just shocked. It just tore a lot of people up. It really did,” neighbor Tonita James told WSMV. “He was riding his bike up through here, and he didn’t see the wire and it knocked him over here. The wire was still on top of him when the fireman came.”
Downed power line lawsuits are not uncommon. If a skilled attorney can prove that a person could not avoid hitting or touching a downed power line, a power or electric company can be held liable for his or her wrongful death or injuries. In 2011, a South Carolina jury awarded a family $4.4 million after a teenager suffered severe personal injuries by a downed power line.
If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident stemming from negligence, call our Nashville injury attorney today at (615) 866-3938. We can help determine if the accident was the result of carelessness or inattention.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19