Car crash brings down power pole in Melbourne's north

Wed 24 Jun 2026 at 4:18pm

Wed 24 Jun 2026 at 4:18pm

A shopping village in Melbourne's north was left shocked after a power pole collapsed across a busy street on Wednesday.

Fire Rescue Victoria says firefighters were called to an incident on Leake Street in Essendon North about 12:54pm, where a collision had pulled down a powerline.

Images from the scene show the power pole had snapped completely, landing on a parked car.

"Firefighters worked with Victoria Police to create an exclusion zone for safety," an FRV spokesperson said.

"The scene was handed to the power company after the power supply to the fallen powerline was stopped."

The power remains out for local businesses, with electricity distributor Jemena estimating power will be restored by 10pm.

Local resident Alison Fonseca said she was sitting down to a matcha latte at a nearby cafe when the barista informed her of the commotion outside.

"There were so many people out on the streets, spilling out of the stores. It's usually such a busy street in Essendon, you know, people walking through there all the time," Ms Fonseca said.

She said she was thankful no one was injured in the incident.

"I was feeling blessed that I wasn't parked there today because I sometimes do park in that exact spot and it just makes you wonder about the safety of power poles in the area," she said.

"Essendon is an old area, so you just hope and pray that it doesn't happen again."