An unidentified vehicle struck a low hanging power line at the intersection of Stelling Road and Erin Way Nov. 15 at 12:28 p.m., knocking out power to De Anza College and the surrounding Cupertino community.

Resident Peter Pao said he thought a transformer in the distribution system had blown following “a big boom.” The outage affected the stoplights at Stelling Road and Stevens Creek Boulevard; backing up traffic as De Anza students left the darkened campus.

The De Anza bookstore shut down during the outage, but maintained a table where Scantrons were sold to students whose tests were scheduled for that day. 

Students gathered in the main quad and across campus, as most classes were canceled for the duration of the outage. Some instructors resumed sessions around benches and tables. 

The outage caused the dining center’s cafeteria ventilation system to shut down, which filled the cafeteria’s dining area with smoke from the stoves. The cafeteria was shut down and evacuated as a result. 

The library was also evacuated for safety and security concerns, said Marisa Spatafore, De Anza marketing and communications director. Spatafore also said diesel generators in “strategic areas across the campus” turned on to provide low-level lighting and critical services.

An unidentified woman was trapped in the Flint Center parking garage elevator during the outage. Foothill-De Anza District police said the woman was freed at 1:20 p.m. 

While power was returned to the college at 1:37 p.m., and classes resumed, PG&E workers remained on the scene repairing the damaged lines until the early hours the following morning.

TIGHT SQUEEZE – Tuesday’s power outage was caused when a large truck became entagled with overhead powerlines. (BRYCE DRUZIN / LA VOZ WEEKLY)