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Man still without electricity four months after truck pulls down low-hanging wire
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BATON ROUGE - It's been a battle for one man living on Fairfields Avenue after a truck pulled down a power line connected to his home. Eric Washington can't afford the repairs himself, which means he's been without power for months.
The incident happened on August 23, 2024, early in the morning. An 18-wheeler was turning onto Harelson Street from Fairfields Avenue when it pulled down a low-hanging wire connecting power to Washington's home. It ripped the electrical box from the outside of his home and put a hole in his roof.
Washington spent Thanksgiving in the dark.
"You know, it's just been hard," he said. "I would love to have my kids over to cook like I usually do but that didn't happen."
Most of the time Washington is at his home keeping an eye on his property, but he had to rehome his dog. He says the cost to fix his home is around $6,000.
Washington says Entergy wrote him a check for $3,500 but did not claim responsibility for the damage. He's now waiting to hear from the claims department for truck company Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. In the meantime, he's renting a generator to turn the lights on for a couple of hours a day. The rental costs $30 a day, another expense Washington can't afford. He hasn't been able to cook at home or take a hot shower.
"These holidays make it even worse," he said.
He's saving the money he received from the electric company while he works to save another $3,000 to complete the work.
In September, Southern Glazer's told 2 On Your Side they were not at fault. Southern Glazer's insurance company reached out to Washington about a month ago. The last Washington heard from the adjuster was that the claim was under final review.
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