Illegally high cargo of semitruck takes down utility lines in Niles

NILES, Mich. -- Michigan State Police say a semitruck took out multiple utility lines and damaged poles as it drove its illegally high cargo through Howard Township yesterday morning. 

At around 9:09 a.m. on Feb. 26, there was a report of a semitruck that collided with powerlines near Niles on Carberry Road in Howard Twp., Cass County causing severe damage to the utility poles.

The driver fled the scene but was later stopped in Cassopolis by a Cass County deputy. A Niles Post Motor Carrier Officer responded to investigate crash scene.

Police say the driver of the semi, a 57-year-old man from California, left the scene of the crash without reporting it to the police, and that he later admitted to leaving the scene of the crash with intentions of not reporting his involvement.

"The driver was issued citations for driving with his cargo over height, not having a valid license, and leaving the scene of a crash," MSP said. "Since then, the utility poles and service to the affected area have all been replaced/restored."

The accident caused some residents of the surrounding areas to lose Comcast connections and possibly power.

"A semitruck accidentally knocked down utility poles and damaged our network lines, causing the outage," Comcast Regional Communications Director Amanda Vallejo said. "We have restored service to most of the affected customers, and we are working to restore the remaining customers’ service as quickly as possible."

Full Comcast services were restored by the end of the day on Monday.