Police in Cape Coral are searching for a semi-truck driver who caused an estimated $400,000 in damage after striking power lines and fleeing the scene. The incident, which occurred Sunday morning, left multiple blocks without power and resulted in several parked vehicles being dragged across residential yards.
According to the Cape Coral Police Department, officers responded to Tropicana Parkway and NE 5th Avenue at approximately 8:20 a.m. on May 18 following reports of a loud collision and subsequent power outage.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that a large commercial semi-truck struck a utility line and continued traveling westbound on Tropicana Parkway, dragging the lines behind it,” authorities said. “The damage extended across multiple homes and vehicles.”
The trail of destruction left in the truck’s wake was substantial. Six power poles were downed, affecting service to multiple blocks in the area. Several parked cars were dragged across yards, and numerous residential fences were damaged.
Perhaps most telling, investigators recovered a portion of the trailer’s roof that had been torn off during the incident. The debris was found on Tropicana Parkway just west of where the initial collision occurred.
The CCPD dispatched both Traffic Homicide Investigators and Property Crimes Detectives to the scene. They’ve described the suspect vehicle as “an 18-wheeler semi-truck with a yellow cab and a white refrigerated (reefer) trailer.”
The truck was last spotted heading northbound on Burnt Store Road. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries have been reported.
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or the truck’s whereabouts to contact the Cape Coral Police Department at (239) 574-3223, referencing case number 25-009645.