BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A Boynton Beach woman said she is concerned for her safety as she waits for someone to remove a large pole and live wires that were knocked down near her home weeks ago.
For about five weeks, Mamie Wright hasn't used her backyard at her home in Boynton Beach.
"I'm scared myself of getting electrocuted," she said. "I don't know what 100 volts mean. If it says hot wire, that tells me enough."
Records, which WPTV obtained from Wright, show a Florida Power & Light pole "snapped in half" and damaged a fence after a car crashed into another car on Miner Road.
Nobody was hurt after the Oct. 21 crash on the single-lane road, but Wright said it also caused the electric wire above her house.
WPTV reporter Ethan Stein saw an FPL tag on the wire, which said, "120 Volt, Hot" dated in October and is leaning against a metal fence.
"I'm afraid for even my grandkids to come visit me," Wright said.
Mamie and James Wright, who property records show have owned the home since 1974, said they're scared to go outside at night. Mammy Wright is concerned the road is too dark. She said she's not received any help from FPL after multiple calls.
"I'm afraid to walk out to my car at night, and I told FPL that," she said. "I called several times, and they ignored me."
Wright also said she tried to contact the city of Boynton Beach to help with the problem as well.
Chelsea Sanabia, who is a spokesperson for the city of Boynton Beach said the city is not allowed to touch the pole and the wire because the debris is FPL's property. She said the city made a ticket with FPL to fix the problem on November 17 after being contacted by the Wright family.
FPL released the following statement Monday regarding the matter:
"Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do at FPL, which is why we apologize for the situation along Miner Road in Boynton Beach. Tonight, we dispatched crews to the neighborhood to make the area safe until permanent repairs are made."
"I thought I could get electrocuted," Wright said. "I don't know how much voltage is necessary to kill somebody."
Wright also said this isn't the first car crash to cause damage to her home over the last couple of years. She blames the problem on cars speeding down a straight road.
WPTV asked the Boynton Beach Police Police Department for data regarding crashes on Miner Road. A department representative said that data could be provided by the end of the week.
