What to do if a power line falls on your car or nearby: Experts offer tips after 3 die in Oregon

After a downed power line fatally electrocuted three people in Oregon, experts offer safety tips for what to do in dangerous situations involving live wires.

A deadly winter storm has hammered the Pacific Northwest this week, creating slippery, icy conditions. 

Three people in Portland, Oregon — a woman, her boyfriend and her 15-year-old brother — were electrocuted Wednesday after slipping on ice near a live power line. A large tree branch likely fell onto utility wires, then knocked one of those wires onto the couple’s SUV. 

Ice buildup can weigh down tree branches and power lines, causing them to snap and fall — thereby putting people at risk of electrocution. 

Three people died after a power line fell on a vehicle in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday.KGWAccording to Portland Fire & Rescue, the couple exited their SUV after the line fell onto their car, and at some point, their feet touched the ground while their bodies were still touching the vehicle. 

“They became part of the active electrical circuit which resulted in their deaths,” the fire department said in a news release.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/power-line-falls-car-expert-safety-tips-rcna134745

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