Semi-truck tears down trees, power lines in Pompano Beach

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A semi-truck took a wrong turn down a Pompano Beach neighborhood Thursday morning, tearing down trees and power lines as the driver tried to make his way back out.

The incident occurred in the area of Northeast 19th Street and 28th Terrace.

“It sounded like a tornado -- like a loud whistle coming down,” one neighbor said. “So I thought it was a tornado because it’s Florida -- nothing too big. Then I heard popping sounds like electrical popping sounds -- loud bangs -- and I was like, ‘Oh that’s not right.’ So I came outside and I saw this pole missing -- all these other poles were flattened down.”

Local 10 News reporter Parker Branton was at the scene as power lines could be seen lying on the bed of a white Dodge pickup truck.

Power lines were also spotted in the backyard of at least one home in the area.

Authorities said the driver was heading to nearby grocery store to make a delivery when the incident occurred.

Crews from Florida Power & Light are working to repair the power lines. At least 42 customers were without power after the incident. Power was fully restored in the area later in the afternoon.

According to Broward Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Veda Coleman-Wright, the driver was given two citations for careless driving and failure to complete a driver’s vehicle inspection report.

Coleman-Wright said the driver had put the wrong address in the GPS. She said no one was injured in the incident.