Man Atop Ladder Near Utility Pole Electrocuted

Contractor's Name Is Not Revealed

A contractor working on a utility line in District Heights was electrocuted yesterday, authorities said.

The man had climbed an aluminum ladder propped against a utility pole in the 6600 block of Grafton Street. The metal ladder came in contact with a high-voltage utility line and the man fell when he got a shock, said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Witnesses called 911 about 10:15 a.m., but when firefighters arrived they could not help the man for several minutes. He had become entangled in the ladder during his fall and was still "energized," touching the aluminum, Brady said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene after Pepco technicians were able to cut power to the line, Brady said. Prince George's police did not immediately identify the man. An investigation is continuing.

The scene horrified neighbors. Levison Ferrell, 49, who lives nearby, called 911 after seeing the accident. "I heard something, and when I looked over, I saw him coming down," he said. "I was just so sorry that I couldn't do anything more to help him. By the time I got up there, he was in flames."

Ferrell said that the man fell about 50 feet and that it took 30 to 40 minutes for workers to cut the electricity and reach him.

The line was carrying 13,000 volts, Pepco spokesman Bob Hainey said. He added that the man was a contractor working for one of the utility's customers. He declined to say whether the work was authorized or if it needed to be, saying those questions would be part of the police investigation.

Ferrell said a Family Dollar store adjacent to the site of the accident had no electricity Friday and was closed. The company did not respond to an e-mail yesterday asking whether the store had hired the contractor.