Seattle City Attorney takes over investigation into power pole collapse
Apr 19, 2019, 6:53 AM | Updated: 9:02 am
Power poles collapsed in Tukwila back in April. (Tukwila PD)
(Tukwila PD)
The Seattle Times reported Thursday that the City Attorney’s Office will be assuming control over an investigation into the collapse of 26 power poles in Tukwila in early April.
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According to the Times, an outside investigator has been hired by the City Attorney’s Office to “help with the process.” That said, the identity of the investigator was not revealed, “as is the case when we retain consulting experts in anticipation of litigation,” a spokeperson for City Attorney Pete Holmes noted.
On April 5, 26 light poles collapsed in a domino-like sequence in Tukwila. One pole came down on a car, live wires were scattered across the museum’s pedestrian bridge, and thousands lost power in the ensuing hours.
In the days since, City Light has noted that it’s still unsure what exactly caused the collapse. The poles had been inspected three years prior to the collapse and deemed safe.
City Light had originally planned to contract a third party of its own to look into the collapse, a task that the City Attorney’s Office will now assume the bulk responsibility for.
It’s unclear at this time what litigation — if any — is expected.
