ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Two workers were injured, one critically, when their lift made contact with a power line Tuesday near the intersection of 12th and Webster streets, triggering an electric shock incident that left hundreds without power in Allentown.
Emergency responders were called to the scene shortly before noon after the workers, who appeared to be painting or preparing to paint a building, struck the overhead line.
One man suffered second and third-degree burns to his head and body in what officials described as a critical injury. The hat he was wearing melted and warped around the power lines upon contact.
The electrical shock disabled the lift’s boom controls, complicating the rescue effort and requiring the Allentown Fire Department to conduct a specialized high-angle hoist operation to extract both workers from the equipment safely.
The critically injured man was transported to a local hospital, though officials have not released any updates on his condition. The extent of the second worker’s injuries was not immediately available.
PPL Electric Utilities responded quickly to the scene, disabling power to the area to ensure safety during the rescue operation.
The outage affected hundreds of customers and disrupted traffic signals and other local infrastructure throughout the surrounding area.
“Individuals, not affiliated with our company, came into contact with an electric line near 12th and Webster Streets in Allentown,” confirmed Dana Burns, PPL Electric Utilities communications director.
According to the PPL Outage map, the incident resulted in a “tripped breaker or blown fuse” that affected approximately 733 customers.
Power was restored yesterday evening by PPL crews.
The Allentown Police Department and Allentown Fire Department did not respond to a request for comment.
