8 On Your Side helps disabled Tampa vet get power, water back weeks after driver crashes into home
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) —A dim and dry holiday season for a Tampa veteran and his family finally came to an end after weeks of what he called a frustrating runaround.
An uninsured driver plowed through a shed, and under Mike Downey’s home Dec. 16, taking out the electrical panel and damaging the water supply line.
Inside, Downey and his family felt the impact.
“It was scary for us, my granddaughter and great grandchild,” Downey said. “It felt like something blew up.”
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Downey, 74, knows what explosions feel like. He heard them a lot after he volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War and was seriously injured during a rocket attack that was part of the notorious Tet Offensive.
“All of a sudden, all hell broke loose,” Downey said, recalling the 1968 attack. “We finally got other patrols out there but not until we already lost everybody but myself and one other man.”
Compared to the injuries that left the Marine 100 percent disabled, Downey thought the damage to his home would be relatively easy to repair.
But the motorist was uninsured and even though that man’s son paid for the new electrical panel, Downey said an electrician who identified himself as a TECO subcontractor told him a wiring issue prevented him from connecting the power.
Days without electricity and water turned into weeks without any answers.
“It’s just miserable,” he said. “I was a frustrating runaround. I have no idea what was taking so long.”
Downey said he never got a clear reason why the power could not be reconnected and he did not get any help from the now, former manager of the trailer park.
“He shrugs his shoulders and smiles and says, ‘I don’t know. We’re not the ones that hit you,’ ” Downey said. “It all made me angry but I had to walk away so that I wouldn’t get in trouble.”
Downey was so frustrated, he contemplated moving out if his family had to live much longer without bare necessities.
“Having to live like this is ridiculous, and for such a long time,” Downey said. “It makes you feel like you just want to go away someplace and hide. It’s just horrible.”
8 On Your Side took Downey’s complaint to the owner of the trailer park, Yes Communities and reached out to TECO to ask why he was still without power after more than two weeks.
Within a few hours, TECO crews restored his power and Yes Communities hired a plumber to repair his water supply line.
After more than two weeks, he could finally turn off his generator and turn on the lights.
“My granddaughter went crazy. She was tickled to death,” Downey said. “If you guys hadn’t shown up, I’d still be without electricity and water but it seems the minute after you were out here, within hours everyone was scurrying around.”
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As far as what caused the delay, TECO spokesperson Lauren Nieves said the repair work by “a private contractor” did not meet the company’s standards.
“Since the repairs were not done in a timely manner, due to his extenuating circumstances, we decided to intervene and do the remaining work ourselves, at no expense to the customer,” Nieves said.
Downey said he and his family are just relieved to have power and water again.
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