HOUSTON – It's not an accident waiting to happen, it's an accident that already has happened -- and more danger remained until a KPRC2 report Monday led to a quick remedy.
Overlook Drive at West Little York near West Little York and Beltway 8 near Jersey Village was blocked after a car crash last weekend broke a utility pole and dropped a cable line close to the road.
Officials with the cable company initially said Wednesday would be the earliest it could fix the downed cable, but crews showed up Tuesday to make the repair. Precinct 4 officials were at the scene to fix the pole.
Before repairs were made, a few large vehicles came through, clipped the line and dragged the pole closer to the road, causing the line to drop just about 2 feet from the road.
One of those large vehicles was a school bus. Surveillance video from Ritchey Robin's business showed the bus hitting the line Monday. The line snapped off the vent on the roof of the bus, and the vent then flew and hit the car behind the bus, then flew into traffic on West Little York -- barely missing another car.
"To me, a school bus hitting this pole, this line, and ripping off the vent of the top of the school bus," Robin said, "that is an accident to me."
Residents and business owners tried to warn drivers by putting out cones and other makeshift signs, including one they found in a ditch.
"This guy used wire just to bring it more to people's attention," Robin said, pointing to one of the signs on the cable line. "Another person put a garbage a trash bag or Walmart bag or something there."
Drivers heading in and out of the neighborhood were forced to find a different route while the pole was down.