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24-Year-Old In Critical Condition After He's Hit By Downed Power Line

WHITTIER (CBS) — A 24-year-old Whittier man is in critical condition after being struck by a downed power line.

Officials say the high-voltage line fell on the man and shocked him for several minutes.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported the accident occurred about 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of Mooreland Drive.

Authorities report a morning storm caused the wire to break loose. After it landed on the man's roof, a fire ignited. While fighting the flames, the power line jumped from the roof and hit the man, knocking him unconscious.

The newspaper quotes Whittier Police Sgt. Brent Anderson who said when police arrived "they found a man pinned to the ground by a power wire."

Police were first alerted to a call reporting someone was screaming in an alley.

A 46-year-old woman, believed to be the man's mother, reportedly tried to rescue the victim. She too was shocked. The woman was thrown across the alley, but her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police summoned Southern California Edison to the scene and officials say they arrived within minutes to cut the power.

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