CHULA VISTA CHULA VISTA — Trolley service was halted for a spell Tuesday after a tow truck driver went through a chain link fence and wound up on trolley tracks in Chula Vista — and a nearby power pole was knocked over during the response effort.
The initial crash was reported around 2:30 a.m. near Oxford Street and Industrial Boulevard on the Blue Line tracks, authorities said.
A worker in a Metropolitan Transit System vehicle was trying to help move the truck off the tracks when “something occurred during the process” that caused a nearby electrical pole to fall, downing some electrical wires, said Chula Vista police spokesperson Anthony Molina.
The pole fell onto the northbound and southbound Blue Line tracks, leaving an electrical wire hanging on the caternary system — the overhead wire that supplies power to the trains, said MTS spokesperson Hector Zermeno.
Molina said a bystander was injured as he tried to help. He was found lying in the parking lot, complaining about back pain, and was transported to a hospital to be checked out.
Officers initially were worried about the risk of electrocution because of the downed power line until it was determined that wasn’t the cause of the man’s injuries, Molina said.
Zermeno said trolley service was halted on the Blue Line from H Street to San Ysidro in both directions at 4:18 a.m. and restored at 6 a.m. Service was expected to be halted again in the afternoon as repairs were made to the electrical grid, with engers being moved via a bus bridge between H Street and Palm Avenue stations.
MTS suggested trolley riders check for updates on X, formerly known as Twitter, or on the agency website at sdmts.com or by calling (619) 233-3004.
