Residents and business in the Blackman and Gateway areas of Murfreesboro experienced a power outage Friday for several hours.
At approximately 11:15 a.m., the Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) Blackman and Gateway Substations lost service from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), affecting nearly 11,000 MTE members. The outage was caused when an unidentified vehicle damaged guide wires, a transmission pole and equipment at the intersection of Tabitha Street and Boyd Drive in northwest Murfreesboro before leaving the scene. MTE was immediately in contact with TVA and dispatched crews to the affected substations and to assist TVA.
Murfreesboro Police Department officers are searching for the driver of the black Mercedes that was involved in the hit-and-run crash.
The Mercedes struck a white GMC 2500 work truck and then damaged a TVA transmission pole and equipment that resulted in a widespread power outage in the Blackman and Gateway areas. The damaged car left the scene of the crash.
Dozens of MPD officers directed traffic at multiple intersections because of the outage. The traffic signals along Medical Center Pkwy., and Old Fort Pkwy. were out for hours while TVA and Middle Tennessee Electric worked to restore power.
If you see the damaged black Mercedes or know the driver, contact our non-emergency number at 615- 893-1311 or email tips to crimetips@murfreesborotn.gov.
MTE’s crews and technicians rerouted power at approximately noon to the Gateway Substation, which restored power to Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital and the Murfreesboro Medical Center. TVA’s transmission feeds would not allow for rerouting power at the Blackman Substation.
In hopes of restoring service to some members served by the Blackman Substation, MTE rerouted power on its distribution system at approximately 1:25 p.m. Despite these efforts, power was restored to about 2,500 members for only matter of minutes as the ensuing power demand proved too great to hold.
At approximately 2:04 p.m., TVA restored transmission service to MTE, and MTE immediately restored power to all affected members.