Stolen dump truck snags power lines, pulls down poles in Inver Grove Heights

A stolen dump truck snagged overhead utility wires and pulled down utility poles early Thursday in the east metro, and nearly 1,800 customers lost their electricity, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on Concord Boulevard between Dawn Avenue and 66th Street, police said.

That stretch of Concord was closed until late in the morning, according to police.

The truck was stolen from a nearby business, said Police Chief Paul Schnell. Soon after, the driver activated the dump box, and that's what tugged on the power lines, the chief said.

The thief left the truck in the middle of the street and has yet to be apprehended, Schnell said.

Xcel spokesman Matthew Lindstrom said four poles came down.

Roughly 1,500 customers who had lost power have had their service restored, while nearly 300 others were still lacking electricity as crews worked on repairs, Lindstrom said.