A routine jog with her dog turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a Pittsburgh woman this week, after both were violently convulsed by a live electrical current surging through a rain-soaked city pavement.
A Terrifying Ordeal on a Rainy Afternoon
The shocking incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon near a light pole at the intersection of Smallman Street and 11th Street in the city's Strip District. Montana Mitchell was out running with her dog, Denim, when the animal suddenly began howling and seizing after stepping onto the wet concrete.
Mitchell was herself electrocuted as she desperately tried to free her pet, collapsing as the current surged through her body. Witnesses described a frantic scene, with both Mitchell and the dog on the ground, their bodies convulsing. Fire officials believe a live current from a nearby city-owned streetlight pole travelled through the waterlogged sidewalk, effectively turning the concrete into a deadly conduit.
"He reacted like he was being tased," Mitchell later recounted in a detailed Instagram post. "I was shocked through him while trying to rip off his collar and drag him to safety."
A Race for Medical Help and a City's Broken Promise
A passerby, hailed by Mitchell as a 'guardian angel', intervened to pull Denim away from the area and drove the shaken owner back to her car. From there, it became a race for emergency care. Denim was rushed to a veterinary hospital for a battery of tests, while Mitchell sought treatment at a human emergency room. Both were later released, physically stable but deeply traumatised.
The incident has triggered an urgent investigation and exposed a failed city pledge. This near-fatal event mirrors a deadly electrocution almost exactly two years prior, in January 2024, when a dog named Nikki was killed on the Murray Avenue Bridge in Squirrel Hill. Following that tragedy, the city promised sweeping inspections of its streetlight system.
However, Dan Gilman, chief of staff to Mayor Corey O'Connor, admitted this week that the comprehensive plan was never fully implemented. "That never occurred," Gilman stated. "So we gave a directive today to begin immediately implementing the entire plan that was issued previously."
Calls for Action and a Return to Normalcy
Mitchell decided to share her story publicly as a warning to other runners and dog owners, particularly during wet weather. "What's terrifying is this has happened before in Pittsburgh," she wrote, referencing the previous fatal incident. She and her partner are now pressing the city for action, demanding closer attention to the infrastructure beneath public walkways.
City officials confirmed the involved pole, which appeared to be missing a base component compared to others, is city-owned and was quickly taken offline. Crews from the maintenance contractor, Allegheny City Electric, were later seen inspecting it.
Despite the trauma, Mitchell has bravely returned to running. "I can let this scare me, or I can let it inspire me to take action so no one else experiences this," she wrote. Meanwhile, Denim remains under close veterinary monitoring, though initial tests have shown no major internal injuries.
