3 family members electrocuted after power line falls on SUV; toddler miraculously survives

Two adults and a teenager were electrocuted after a tree and a power line fell on a truck outside an Oregon home during a powerful winter storm Wednesday — while a toddler held by one of the victims miraculously survived.

Emergency crews responded to reports of a person on fire in the street at the intersection of Northeast 122 and Northeast Siskiyou in the Russell neighborhood, a suburb in Portland, around 11:45 a.m., according to KPTV.

A tree branch had broken off and pulled down the live wire onto the red Ford Expedition below, electrifying the SUV.

The occupants inside the car were unaware of the danger and stepped out onto the road, shocking them to death.

“The vehicle was electrified, so when they touched the ground and the vehicle, the electrical current ran through them and the end result is we have three deceased individuals, Rick Graves of Portland Fire and Rescue told the outlet.

Fire crews found the three people dead about 35 feet from the car.

The child’s father, identified as “Nash,” was holding the toddler when he was electrocuted, according to KGW.

The 2-year-old child was taken to a hospital for evaluation and is in good condition.

The child’s mother, a 21-year-old who was six months pregnant, was killed alongside her teen brother identified as 15-year-old Ta’Ron Briggs, a 10th grader at Milwaukie High School.

Their heartbroken father said he and his wife heard a “boom” and then saw the car was on fire.

“It just hurt. Seeing my kids dying — can’t do nothing about it,” said Randy Briggs, the father of the two siblings told KGW. “I have 6 kids. I lost 2 of them in one day.”

Neighbor Majiah Washington heard a noise she thought was a gunshot before she saw a bolt of light.

“In my mind, I’m just thinking ‘I have to get this baby.’ That’s the only thing I was thinking: ‘I have to get this baby,” Washington told KGW.

Portland Fire and Rescue stressed the importance of not going near any fallen wire, as it could be live, and if someone is ever caught in a situation inside their car with a wire on top, they should never leave the vehicle.

“If it is indeed a live wire that’s going to cause you issue, we can get the power company started, they can de-energize the lines, Graves said. “As long as you’re in your vehicle and you have that rubber from the tires connected to the ground, you’re grounded, you’re safe.”

The Northwest corner of the country has been under storm watches and warnings after a powerful deadly storm caused havoc over the weekend with more freezing rain expected in the area Thursday evening into Friday.

At least 10 people were killed over the weekend from the harsh winter conditions that plagued the region, including five that are reported to be hypothermia-related deaths, according to the outlet.

With Post wires