An Atlanta woman was struck and killed by a falling utility pole Wednesday in what Columbus authorities are calling a freak accident.
Keisha Edwards, 26, got out to inspect the damage after running into the pole on Woodruff Farm Road, Columbus-based WTVM reported.
As she walked around, a woman driving the opposite direction struck a loose wire, setting off a chain-reaction that caused the pole to snap and hit Edwards, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan told the news station.
The pole also struck two others: a passenger who had been riding in Edwards' car and a passing motorist who stopped to help them, police told WRBL.
“Basically, it was a one-car accident — car vs. pole — and everything you would want to happen happened,” Columbus Police Lt. Lance Deaton told the station. “All the right things. They appeared to be OK, someone stopped to help.”
Police said there were no utility lines on the pole, but a guy-wire used to stabilize it broke loose and was struck by a passing car.
“Those (wires) yanked the pole and it swung like a pendulum,” Deaton told WRBL. “It hit all three people who were standing near the accident.”
Edwards died of her injuries, while her passenger suffered a broken leg and the driver who stopped to help them broke a foot, authorities said.
The incident remains under investigation and Edwards’ body was sent to Atlanta for an autopsy, according to Columbus news outlets.
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