A San Antonio family is suing AT&T and contractors after a low-hanging cable killed Glenda Roth outside her home, urging changes to prevent future tragedies.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family is suing AT&T and two of its contractors after they say a dangerously low-hanging fiber optic cable killed a wife and mother outside her home — and that it could happen again if changes aren’t made.
On May 2, Glenda Roth was doing yard work outside her home on Oak Ledge Drive — a quiet, curved street near Nacogdoches Road and Loop 410 — when a passing Haul-Brooke dumpster truck hit the utility cable.
In an instant, her husband, William “Bill” Roth said the line snapped and turned into a deadly whip.
“She was weed-eating the front walkway,” Bill said. “She was to my right, about 12 feet.”
Bill recalled hearing the truck before he saw it.
“All of a sudden, I saw the line that ripped from the telephone pole come across the top of the dumpster truck and in mid-air, in a split-second came over to my side of the road,” he said.
The recoiling cable, owned by AT&T and maintained by Quest Utility Construction, struck Glenda in the head.
“I look over to the right of me and there’s Glenda on the ground with her arms out, almost like on a cross,” Bill said.
Glenda was rushed to Brooke Army Medical Center, where neurosurgeons performed surgery to relieve pressure on her brain.
“One of the top surgeons in the country was up there… So she had the best care possible,” Bill said. “Seeing your wife, the love of your life, down there on the ground barely alive… It just won’t go away, probably never will.”
Twelve days later, on May 15, Glenda died. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled her cause of death blunt force injury to the head.
Bill said AT&T crews had been at their home before Easter to work on the internet and he alerted workers about the same utility line. His attorneys found the wire had been hanging well below the height required by the National Electrical Safety Code.
‘Predictable and preventable’
The Crosley Law Firm, which represents the Roth family, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against AT&T, Quest Utility Construction and Haul-Brooke.
“This was predictable. This was foreseeable. If these companies had followed the regulations, Glenda would be here today,” said Brennen Jenkins, attorney for the Roth family.
“We are investigating whether or not this was part of a broader pattern of negligent infrastructure maintenance,” Jenkins added. “All these companies had a role in creating or ignoring these dangerous conditions that led to Glenda’s passing.”
Jenkins said the family’s goal is to prevent another tragedy.
“This information might help prevent another tragedy. It might also help us hold these corporations accountable in this incident as well,” he said. “The reports that come into our office, we’re going to investigate each one… How can these companies do a better job at keeping the public safe?”
They’re pushing more more than $1 million in compensation.
A call to the public
Glenda’s daughter, Caroline Weeks, said the loss has been devastating — and preventable.
“After her death, it was very obvious to us that it could have been avoidable,” Weeks said. “This isn’t just a singular situation. There could possibly be hazardous, low-hanging cables elsewhere… We hope it incites true change so this doesn’t happen to anyone else and their family.”
Weeks described her mother as “walking sunshine.”
“Just the most kind-hearted, generous, intentional, vibrant woman ever,” Weeks said. “She had a way of making every single person she met feel special and important… Her energy was just contagious and she made life fun.”
The family is asking the public to report low-hanging or downed cables, along with photos or any related work orders.
“If you see a low-hanging cable, please think twice about it. Call someone. Be cautious. It’s one of those things you may not think about but it can really change your life in an instant,” Weeks said.
For Bill, the silence at home is a constant reminder of his loss.
“That’s the part that’s terrible. Anything these people can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to somebody else — that’s what we want to happen,” he said.
KENS 5 called Quest Utility Construction and Haul-Brooke, leaving messages and emails, but has not heard back. AT&T has also not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Crosley Law Firm says tips from the public could play a critical role in identifying dangerous utility lines before they cause harm.
In a press release, they wrote, “If you have seen or photographed:
- Fiber optic or utility cables hanging unusually low over streets, driveways or sidewalks;
- Downed or drooping cables that have not been promptly repaired;
- Similar incidents involving vehicles striking overhead lines;
Please contact Crosley Law Firm at (210) 529-3000 or email tom@crosleylaw.com or brennen@crosleylaw.com.”