A driver and his passengers escaped serious injuries Monday afternoon when their vehicle struck dangling power lines on Interstate 75 in Marion County.
Aljajuan Jefferson, 40, of Navarre, had been driving a 2009 Chevy Suburban at 3 p.m. northbound on I-75 and as he was approaching the overpass at Mile Marker 370, utility wires fell from the overpass and were hanging just above the roadway, according to a report from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The front of Jefferson’s vehicle struck the low hanging utility wires.
During FHP’s investigation, it was revealed that Burfords out of Aniston, Ala. was on County Road 320 cutting and removing trees per the request of Gainesville Regional Utilities. While cutting, a tree fell on top of utility wires and severed the wires from the pole, causing them to fall over I-75 across all north and southbound travel lanes. Four other vehicles were involved in separate, but minor incidents involving the low hanging utility wires.
Three passengers in Jefferson’s vehicle also suffered minor injuries.
