Cable installer's leg severed in St. Paul work accident
A cable installation subcontractor has been gravely injured in a freak accident in St. Paul just before noon on Wednesday, police said.
A cable installation crew was working near the intersection of Rice Street and Geranium Ave, and had a cable across the roadway, said Sgt. Michael Ernster, a public information officer with the St. Paul Police Department.
This is apparently a common practice as crews prepare to install the wire, and vehicles were allowed to drive across it, Ernster said in a statement.
But a passing vehicle, possibly a Metro Transit bus, snagged the wire as it drove over the line, police said.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
The vehicle pulled the cable tight, as it was still attached to a nearby spool. The cable ensnared a worker standing nearby, and the force of the cable being pulled caused him to collide into the side of a pickup truck on Rice Street, according to reports.
The cable was wrapped around his leg, and the tension severed one of his legs, around his knee.
Saint Paul Fire medics transported the male to Regions Hospital. The worker is expected to survive, Ernster said, and police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The worker is an employee of a subcontractor working with CenturyLink, according to preliminary information from SPPD.