Dangerous, high-voltage power lines aren't stopping thieves from stealing or trying to steal copper and other metals that can be sold for scrap, and PPL officials are concerned.
On April 27, a thief or thieves who tampered with a live, 69-kilovolt PPL Electric Utilities transmission line near Hazleton disrupted service for about 8,000 customers. The person or people responsible apparently escaped without injury.
Last year, a man was electrocuted in Wright Township while trying to steal wire. Last week, a man was critically injured in California while allegedly trying to steal wire from a Southern California Edison facility. The man, 26-year-old Michael Garcia, reportedly took a 33,000-volt shock and was on fire when emergency personnel arrived.
