Dangerous Duty In NC

Recovery expected by tow operator who sustained electric shock | expected, vanceboro, operator - Sun Journal:

VANCEBORO — A tow truck operator thrown to the ground from the bed of a loaded pickup by electric shock by a drooping power line on U.S. 17 near Antioch Road is recovering in Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Joey Ipock, 26, of Ipock’s Parts and Service on N.C. 43 west of Vanceboro, was working with his father Frankie Ipock to remove a wrecked pickup truck from the roadside about 8 p.m. Saturday [July 30] when the accident occurred.

“He expects to make a full recovery,” Trooper C.W. Lawrance said Sunday shortly after talking with Ipock. “He had an entrance wound in his hand and an exit wound in his chest and was airlifted to Pitt.”

“He’s got some burns but he’s going to be alright,” said Jerry Ipock, who also works at the family business and is Joey’s uncle.

The incident itself, however, was jolting to those present, which included Lawrance, a Progress Energy employee, and the Ipocks, including Joey Ipock’s wife, who was in the tow truck cab.

“There was a loud bang, like a lightning strike, a few sparks, and I saw Mr. Ipock fall from the vehicle into the ditch,” said Lawrance, who was there to investigate a 6:10 p.m. accident where a pickup hit the pole.

“Progress Energy was already on the scene and told them the wire was live when they arrived,” he said.

“The father and son were there and pulled the truck onto the shoulder of the road,” he said. “They got there with a rollback wrecker and loaded the vehicle, power lines were hanging down a little bit, about the height of a tractor trailer, maybe four or five feet lower than the normal. The line wasn’t on the ground sparking or anything.”

Lawrance said the wrecker operators had picked up some strewn vehicle debris. He said Joey Ipock was in the back of the loaded pickup handling the debris, putting some aluminum piece in. Lawrance said Ipock tossed one piece of aluminum which touched the power line.

“An electric shock went through him and knocked him onto the ground,” Lawrance said.

Rescue workers from Little Swift Creek returned to the scene they had left about an hour before to assist Ipock.

In the earlier accident, Ricky Baker, 56, of Bridge Road in Vanceboro, had crossed the left center line in his pickup, hit a pole, and continued on, coming to a stop after striking some nearby trees, Lawrance said.

Baker was sent to CarolinaEast for treatment of injuries sustained in the wreck. He was also charged with driving while impaired.

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5665 or sbook@freedomenc.com.

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