CUMRU TWP., Pa. – A couple is lucky to be alive Thursday after their vehicle got tangled up in power lines that fell during yesterday’s storm.

First responders rescued them and say scenarios like theirs can be very dangerous. It happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday on Route 625, near Sawmill Road in Cumru Township.

“It was horrible. I was so upset because there was no warning whatsoever,” said Michelle Kile, the woman whose car was stuck in wires.

Kile, alongside her husband, got their vehicle tangled in hanging wires. They say there were no warning signs indicating that wires had fallen due to the storm. Unsure of what to do, Kile called for help.

“Terrifying,” she said. “We called 911, and they had us sit in the car and, ‘Don’t move, don’t turn off the car don’t do anything, turn your four-way flashers on,’ which I did immediately.” 

“The biggest thing is to not get out of your car; stay in your car,” said Corey Heinbach, PSP Troop L fire marshal.

Trooper Heinbach says you can’t see electricity, so assume the wires are energized.

“Nobody has any idea whether the wires are energized or not until the power company gets there and confirms to the fire department or other responders that the wires are de-energized,” Heinbach said.

And, if you see someone trapped, but first responders have not arrived: “Do not approach,” Heinbach advises.

He says staying a pole’s length away from the damage is a safe distance.

Bad weather can also interrupt phone reception, but like Kile, you can still call for help.

“911 will still work even if you don’t have service, even phones that don’t have cell service provided to them can still call 911,” Heinbach said.

Make sure to give as much information as possible regarding your location in case the operator can’t call you back because of a bad signal.

And if you see warning signs, avoid those roads.

“If you have any type of road that is blocked by either cones, barricade, or even water covering the road, turn around, don’t drown, don’t drive around the barricades — they’re there for a reason,” Heinbach said.

Verizon and Met-Ed crews also joined first responders at the scene to remove wires from the car.

The couple was not injured.