Updated as of 12:47 p.m. Sept. 5 to include photos.
A tree removal crane was vertical on West Lebanon Avenue after tipping backwards around 2:10 p.m. Sept. 4.
No one was injured, according to Chief of the Town of Elon Fire Department Landon Massey.
Massey said the fire department is assisting in lowering the crane by using a ladder truck to pull it to the ground. According to Massey the tree removal crane was still running.
At 9:24 p.m. the crane was lowered and is no longer upright.
The Town of Elon Fire Department left the scene at 9:55 p.m. As of 10:42 p.m. power has been restored and West Lebanon Avenue is now reopened.
An official from the Town of Elon Police Department told onlookers that Duke Power may shut down power in the area, since the crane is so close to the power lines. But Duke Energy will be on the scene to get power up once the crane is moved. The official said they are concerned about the incoming rain and how it might impact the operation. A crowd gathering at the scene began to leave as the rain started.
Duke Energy arrived on the scene at 4:38 p.m.
At 5:06 p.m. the tow trucks were connected to the crane, ready to lower it down. A police officer told the amassing crowd that it would be at least 20 minutes until they started lowering the crane, since Duke Energy still needed to cut the power in the area.
According to an E-Alert sent out at 6:03 p.m. the traffic lights at Williamson Avenue, Lebanon Avenue and Trollinger Avenue are out due to construction.
At 4:57 p.m., Duke Energy’s website reported 133 customers without power in the area. Customers without power in the area include business throughout downtown Elon such as Mediterranean Deli, the Oak House, the Root Trackside and MaGerks. According to employees from the Root Trackside they were not alerted that power to the restaurant would be cut.
The only businesses that are currently open and have power are Pandora's Pies and TANGENT Eat + Bar.
Around 3:45 p.m., the fire department’s deployed a ladder truck with one fire fighter suspended from the bucket. According to officials on the scene, the fire department is rigging cables and tow trucks on the scene will lower it.
At 3:32 p.m. the town of Elon Fire Marshall Brian Graves, extended the blocked off portion of the road to “twice the length” of the crane. He told ENN that this was a safety precaution in case the crane hit the power lines or fell in an unexpected way as the ladder truck was assisting it down.
At 3:48 p.m. town of Elon Police pushed the gathering crowd back once again. Onlookers are gathered on both sides of the railroad tracks watching the fire department‘s response.
Elon student Savana Rivera was sitting on her porch with her roommates as the crane tipped. She said she saw the crane separate from the suction holding it to the road. Rivera said officials at the scene told her and her roommates to evacuate their house. As of 3:06 p.m., they do not know when they will be allowed back in.
At 9:32 p.m. the evacuation order ended and residents who were asked to leave their homes are allowed to return.
According to Massey, power will not be restored until trucks tow the crane off. Massey said there was no estimate for when power would return to the area.
Rivera lives on West Lebanon Avenue and said her neighbors told them workers would be working on their ongoing tree removal project today.
Rivera said she heard a loud and sudden “thud” as the front of the truck lifted into the air.
According to Rivera, her neighbors wanted to remove trees that were leaning toward the power lines. Rivera said their neighbors worried that if there was another major storm, the trees could fall and damage the power lines.
Town of Elon Downtown Development Director Jill Weston told Elon News Network town officials were unaware that the crane would be there. While Massey said it is not a requirement to inform the town, Weston said she believes homeowners should inform town officials about any major work that would impede traffic or block the road. Weston said West Lebanon Avenue should have been blocked for the crane to begin with.