Falling Power Lines Reportedly Electrocute Commuter in Sherman Oaks; 28K Left Powerless: Updated

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — A commuter reportedly died Friday after a falling tree knocked power lines atop a car in Sherman Oaks Friday. The incident also knocked out power for nearly 30,000 customers and snarled traffic for miles.

A 55-year-old man apparently suffered a fatal electrical shock Friday afternoon when a tree toppled amid heavy rainfall in Sherman Oaks and brought down power lines. Officers dispatched about 12:55 p.m. to the area of Sepulveda Boulevard and Weddington Street on a report of downed power lines came upon the injured man, said Sgt. Barry Montgomery of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division.

Paramedics rushed the man to an area hospital, where he died, Montgomery said. His name was not immediately released.

A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Fire Department could not be reached for immediate comment, but the LAFD tweeted that between noon and 4 p.m., firefighters responded to nearly 150 calls of downed power lines.

Fire officials say there is a large traffic backup on Sepulveda between Magnolia and Burbank boulevards due to the fallen wires and tree.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is reporting outages affecting roughly 28,000 customers as a result of the storm. The most-impacted areas include Hyde Park, Canoga Park, Mid-Wilshire, Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks.

Dozens of fallen trees have been reported citywide while multiple freeways flooded due to the storm including the 5 and 110, which have been shut down.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock