Traffic Accident Knocks Out Power to Helen Keller School

A car accident Tuesday morning in the 16200 block of 80th Avenue knocked out power to about 38 customers in that area, including Helen Keller Elementary School.

Two cars were involved in the accident, which sent one vehicle off 80th Avenue, through a fence and into residential backyards before hitting a green ComEd power box, said Tinley Park Fire Department Capt. Tim Griffin. The damage to the power box is what caused the outage and was the reason Tinley fire crews responded to the call at around 8 a.m., he added.

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No one was seriously hurt, Griffin said, adding that one driver was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for minor injuries.

Griffin said he did not know how the accident happened. An accident report by the Tinley Park Police Department had not been completed by late Tuesday afternoon.

The accident-caused power outage in the area did force Helen Keller Elementary School to use its back-up generator for about two hours in the morning. In an email to parents, Mike Byrne, superintendent for Kirby School District 140, indicated that although the school had limited heat, the building did reach about 65 degrees.

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