Weed probably hurt more than the coke in this case. Power lines are extremely difficult to see from above, instead of looking for them against the background of the sky, where they stand out, you’re looking for them against the background of the ground.
They blend right the fuck in. You have to look for the poles, and you have to be sharp about it.
Compound that with the fact that the balloonist wouldn’t be that low if he wasn’t trying to land, probably because he’s starting to run low on fuel, or the potential spots in his direction of travel just look worse and worse. Roadways are good spots, generally, but the power lines frequently associated with them are a well-known issue.
Pilots should be sober though. Stone sober. While 99% of your flights may be dull and boring, the balloon goes where the wind blows it, so you never know if today might be that 1%.