Toddler sole survivor after live power line falls on SUV, electrocuting 1 teen, 2 adults

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV/Gray News) – A 9-month-old child was the sole survivor after a live power line fell on a vehicle and killed three others.

Two adults and a teenager were killed after a tree branch and a live power line fell on their SUV in northeast Portland on Wednesday.

According to Rick Graves with Portland Fire & Rescue, crews responded to the scene in the Russel Neighborhood as 911 calls came in about a person on fire in the street and a power line down.

A tree branch had fallen and pulled a live power line down with it, landing on top of the SUV, Graves said.

The people inside the car were scared and got out of the SUV, officials said. But when their feet touched the ground, they were electrocuted.

It happens because the electricity from the wire passes through the car, through the people, and into the ground.

A witness pulled the 9-month-old child out of the arms of one of the adults who had been electrocuted.

The witness, 18-year-old Majiah Washington, said she saw the baby move his head while he was still in the father’s arms and she pulled the boy to safety.

“I was thinking, ‘I have to grab that baby,’” Washington said. “I grabbed him and held him until I could hand him off to someone who could check him.”

When fire crews arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of the two adults and the teenager about 35 feet from the car.

The teen was identified later that evening as Milwaukie High School student Ta’Ron Briggs. He was a sophomore.

The school said they will be offering support for students and staff as they grieve his death.

The identities of the adults have not been released.

Dameon Pesanti with Clark Public Utilities says people should always assume downed wires are live. If you find yourself in a situation with a wire on your car, always stay inside the vehicle and call 911 immediately. Also, warn anyone nearby not to approach.

At least 10 people have died as a result of winter weather conditions in the Portland metro area since Friday.

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