Fallen poles crush SUV in Honolulu

A Honda SUV parked along the curb on Pumehana Street was crushed early Friday when two utility poles came down in the McCully-Mōʻiliʻili neighborhood. The impact occurred just before dawn. No one was injured in the incident.

The collapse cut off electricity to roughly 1,300 customers in the area. Darren Pai, a spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric, stated that power was restored to nearly all of them by 9 a.m. Only about three customers remained without service at that time.

Local business owners expressed concern about the safety of the area. Matt Bickle, who operates an IT company in the building next to the impact site, said his employees often park where the pole and transformers landed. His offices closed for the day, and staff worked from home. Bickle described the event as a close call, noting that the poles could have hit people instead of a car.

James 'Chip' Buchmiller, owner of The Consignment Center, reported that his store is fully blocked from the street. He could not access the parking lot or the entrance, so the business closed for the day. Buchmiller questioned how the store received warning of an emergency that shut down operations completely.

The location of the fallen poles has raised questions about nearby infrastructure. An elementary school is located down the street, with a playground situated near the power lines. HECO officials are investigating the cause of the failure. They are considering factors such as high winds and potential termite damage to the wood.

Pai explained that the utility company has a program to test and treat poles for termite damage on a seven-year rotating schedule. He was uncertain when the specific poles in the McCully area were last inspected. Impacted businesses can now file claims with HECO while the utility continues to restore service.