Man Critically Injured After Touching Electrified Vehicle

Man's condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn stabilized by early Tuesday

A man was hospitalized in critical condition late Monday after being shocked by electricity when he touched a vehicle that had connected with a downed power line.

The man's condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn stabilized by early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The power line came down after a vehicle traveling northbound on South King Drive near 79th Street hit an electrical pole at about 4:30 Monday afternoon. The 63-year-old man then later accidentally touched the SUV.

The incident knocked out power to about 1,200 Commonwealth Edison customers for about four hours. Crews were on the scene overnight, first shutting off power to the accident site and then restoring service to customers in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.

Power was back on for just about everyone as of 6 a.m. with the exception of some street lights and the nearby Chicago Public Library location.

No citations had been issued in relation to the incident as of early Tuesday, police said.

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