Two contractors seriously injured after being shocked by high voltage electrical line

Two electrical workers are in critical condition after they came in contact with a high voltage electrical line in Irvine and received a shock that left them with serious burns to their faces and hands.

The two workers, both in their mid-20s, were using a jackhammer in a large pit at 10:15 p.m. Friday at the corner of Harvard Avenue and Michelson Drive when they hit an electrical line and were shocked, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.

“They could have been killed,” Concialdi said. “Electricity can be extremely dangerous.”

The men, who are employed through a contracting company called PAR Electrical, were working on a job for Southern California Edison in Irvine when the shock occurred, said SCE spokesman Robert Villegas.

Southern California Edison and PAR Electrical are investigating the incident.

— Hannah Fry