Car hits utility pole, catches fire in Gibson County

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A driver is seriously injured after his car struck a utility pole and burst into flames.

Crews worked to restore power hours after a car crashed into a utility pole, setting it on fire.

“When my guys got here, they found a car off in the woods on fire with a person trapped in it,” Gibson County Fire Chief Bryan Cathey said.

Cathey says it happened around 3:30 a.m. Monday, briefly shutting down a section of Highway 45 between Milan and Bradford.

“Live power lines were down across all lanes,” Cathey said. “For some reason it did not click the breaker and shut them down, so we had to shut the highway down.”

Cathey says firefighters were able to extract the victim from the burning vehicle, rushing him to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

“He was taken by ambulance because the helicopter couldn’t land due to the weather,” Cathey said.

As officials investigate the crash, Cathey has a reminder for those driving in slick conditions.

“Just be safe when it rains, especially the first time it’s rained in a while,” he said. “The roads get slick and you could have an accident.”

The cause of the crash is under investigation and officials have not yet identified the victim.

Stay with WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News as we continue to follow this story.