LAKE HELEN, Fla. – Jamie Totten returned home from work last month to find his electricity out, power lines lying in the street and a large box truck stopped in front of his house.
The truck had been backing down Totten's street to deliver plywood to a neighbor's home when it snagged some low-hanging utility lines that were stretched across the street and over a portion of Totten's yard, according to witnesses.
As the truck yanked the overhead wires, it destroyed a meter and other electrical equipment attached to Totten's home, he said.
"It's been a rough two weeks," said Totten, who had to throw out spoiled food from his refrigerator and use a generator to power a small air conditioner unit. "it's just like a hurricane hit with no power."
Believing the delivery driver was responsible for the damage, Totten asked the trucking company to cover the $1,200 repair costs along with some smaller expenses, such as his bill for a night in a motel room.
When the trucking company's insurance provider denied Totten's claim two weeks later, he contacted News 6 for help.
"It wasn't my fault, so I don't want to have to pay these repairs," Totten said.
In a letter, the trucking company's claims adjuster suggested that their driver was not to blame.
"The National Electrical Code requires power lines over any public street to have a minimum of 15 feet of clearance," the claim denial letter stated. "The highest any standard box truck would be is 13'6", therefore the lines were not hung to a proper height."
Duke Energy, which maintains the power lines in Totten's neighborhood, told News 6 that the truck driver did not strike one of its power lines.
Instead, the power company said the truck hit a separate line that shares the same utility poles and hangs a few feet closer to the ground.
"Since a truck hit the co-located line, Duke Energy would not be responsible for damage to the service line," said Duke Energy Florida Senior Communications Consultant Ana Gibbs.
That second, lower line is maintained by cable TV and internet provider Spectrum.
When News 6 contacted Spectrum's parent company Charter Communications, a company representative quickly offered to assist Totten.
"Our Spectrum team had determined that our plant (cable line) was the one caught and brought down by the delivery truck resulting in the damage," Florida communications director Joe Durkin wrote in an email. "Our team has initiated a damage complaint with Spectrum on behalf of Mr. Totten to get this resolved."
Spectrum was not immediately aware of the height of its cable lines prior to the incident outside Totten's home. But the company spokesman said the situation is a good reminder for property owners to be aware of tree branches and other potential obstacles that may be surrounding their cable and power lines, particularly with hurricane season underway.
Besides potentially causing inconvenience to customers, Duke Energy warns that low-hanging and downed power lines can be dangerous.
The power company is urging customers to report any problems by contacting them here.
As Totten awaits the results of his claim with Spectrum, he has paid for the repairs out of pocket in order to get his electrical service reconnected.
"We understand the customer's frustration," said Gibbs. "Once the damage was repaired and inspected, Duke Energy expedited the restoration of power to this property."