Limerick motorist hospitalised after breaking ESB pole in single vehicle collision

A MOTORIST was taken to hospital after his vehicle struck and broke an ESB pole on the outskirts of Limerick city.

The pole had to be replaced by ESB following the late night collision involving a high-end jeep. The pole forms part of a high-voltage electricity line bringing power into Limerick city. 

A garda spokesperson confirmed officers attended the scene of a single vehicle road traffic incident that occurred on the Old Cork Road in Limerick city on Monday, June 9 at approximately 11.30pm.

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“A male in his 50s was conveyed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Investigations are ongoing,” said a garda spokesperson.

The extent of the man's injuries is not known but it is understood that they are not of life-threatening nature. It is unclear how the jeep came to strike the ESB pole. 

Local residents expressed their concerns about the damaged ESB pole on social media. Limerick Fire and Rescue Service were contacted and responded to the scene.

A spokesperson for ESB Networks confirmed that “a third-party vehicle made contact with a pole, causing it to break” on Monday, June 9. 

They said that ESB Networks crews mobilised immediately to assess the damage, make the area safe and carry out the necessary repair work (pictured below).

“Due to the damage caused to the pole, a complete replacement of the pole was carried out on Tuesday, June 10.

“This incident serves as a timely reminder that damage to our network by third parties can occur from time to time. We run extensive public awareness campaigns on staying safe and staying clear of our network – more information is available here ," said the ESB spokesperson.

It took ESB crews a number of hours to replace the pole due to the extent of the damage.