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Lincoln Selectboard reviews safety steps after town truck hits overhead power lines
Summary
After a town gravel truck struck overhead power lines on April 15, the Selectboard approved an overhead-wire inventory and discussed liability, insurance billing, and reporting low-hanging lines to utilities to reduce future risk.
A town gravel truck contacted overhead power lines on April 15, causing sparks, a small fire and the collapse of a utility pole, Town Administrator Trish Waugh told the Selectboard at its April 21 meeting. "On April 15, 2026, while spreading gravel on Ripton Road, our 2023 Freightliner operated by Rick made contact with power lines that crossed the roadway," Waugh reported, saying fire departments from Lincoln, Ripton and Bristol responded and Green Mountain Power secured the scene.
Waugh said power was temporarily interrupted to surrounding communities and the incident was reported to the town’s insurer. The board discussed practical next steps: Tim McGowan estimated a 20-day effort to inventory low-hanging overhead wires and asked that the inventory be followed by a letter to utility companies so the town reduces its liability for future incidents. The board also reviewed legal limits on charging for road damage and was told that pursuing reimbursement for willful or wanton damage would likely require legal action and consultation with VLCT.
Selectboard members pressed for practical safety changes. The board agreed to place the overhead-wire inventory on highway crew morning safety briefings and to report any potentially low-hanging lines to the appropriate utility companies. VTrans Grants-in-Aid staff also inspected several culverts during the same period and determined some failed culverts would not qualify for reimbursement, a point Waugh raised in the context of prioritizing limited repair resources.
