LUCERNE, Calif. – There has been plenty of nature-generated excitement throughout Lake County in recent weeks, from the snow flurries of the south shore to the seismic events at The Geysers and Lake Pillsbury.
So when John Lordemann, 60, of 6433 11th Ave. in Lucerne, was awakened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning to a violent shake, he assumed he was experiencing another natural event.
“I thought it was an earthquake,” he said.
After he awoke, he phoned two of his daughters who live nearby to tell them of the shaker.
He said he was then visited by a woman who inquired if he was all right and, after a brief conversation, she left.
Then, at around 2 a.m., a California Highway Patrol officer appeared on Lordemann's doorstep.
As it turned out, the officer was investigating a vehicle crash that occurred next door at 6421 11th Ave. It had been reported to law enforcement by a neighbor that a woman had driven a light-colored, later model Jeep or Toyota SUV, in reverse, into a Ford F150 pickup belonging to John Sanders.
The SUV eventually came to rest in Lordemann’s front yard, after plowing through Sanders’ yard and two fences along the way, he said.
When the CHP arrived, the female driver and vehicle were gone. By then, one of Lordemann’s daughters, Tabbitha Hodges, 28, of Nice, had arrived to help her father with the police report.
Lordemann said he eventually went back to bed and woke again at around 8 a.m. to find out that the hit-and-run accident was worse than anyone had thought.
“I could see daylight through my ceiling,” he said.
He then went outside to find the power pole, normally positioned upright in his front yard, was now pushed over and resting against the roof of his home.
Hodges had returned and was later joined by her sister, Tiffany Hunter, 32, of Upper Lake, and several of Lordemann's grandchildren. They all reported hearing wires arcing underground at the power pole.
Lordemann and his family members began evacuating the trailer, taking his personal belongings and the three family dogs.
Hodges said she felt a strong shock to her hip as she was about to exit the trailer, while Hunter reported that she and the children all developed headaches and nausea at the scene. They attributed the symptoms to the electrical current from the damaged power line.
Northshore Fire Protection District's Station 80 Lucerne was notified via a phone call around 12:30 p.m. that someone’s home had been hit by a vehicle and might need to be looked at, officials said.
Northshore Fire responded with an engine, a medic unit and a battalion chief. On scene, Firefighter Odell Landers established incident command.
“We disconnected power to the residence at the main panel, cordoned off the property, requested PG&E and CHP, and stood by making sure the scene was safe,” he said.
Landers confirmed that no one complained of health issues, or requested medical treatment or transport, from the scene.
PG&E later arrived to disconnect power to the pole and informed Lordemann that once he had the damage repaired, by a contractor, they would restore power.
CHP arrived and amended their report to show the damage, previously not noted, to the pole and structure.
Lordemann said that CHP had several leads to the whereabouts of the driver in question and they were attempting to locate her. He also stated he is expecting to hear from his insurance agent on Monday and believes the structure will be totaled.
“I’ll live with my daughter, in Nice, until things get fixed,” he said.
Next door at Sanders' home, though not losing his power or lodging, he didn’t fare very well either. He plans on meeting with his insurance agent early next week.
“I lost my truck, my fences, my canoe and my yard lights,” he said, stating that he won’t even try to start his pickup until the agent arrives.
Saturday afternoon CHP Sgt. Richard Getzelman and two other CHP officers were investigating the scene, with one taking pieces of what appeared to be decorative lettering from a vehicle and putting it into evidence bags.
Getzelman said they had information on a possible suspect in the case.
There were reports from the scene that a vehicle matching the description was seen being towed from the lake’s shore west of Pepperwood Cove, which was reported to CHP.
Early Sunday morning jail records did not reflect an arrest in this case.
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