Light Pole Crashes To Ground Near School In Humboldt Park Neighborhood
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A rusted out city light pole came crashing to the ground just feet from a crosswalk and school in Humboldt Park on Thursday – and it was not the first time.
CBS 2 has been investigating the issue of decaying light poles that end up falling down in the city for years.
Meanwhile, residents told CBS 2's Tara Molina on Thursday that it is pure luck someone did not get hurt in the incident at Campbell Avenue and Rice Street.
Molina is bringing neighbors' concerns to the city.
On Thursday evening, a pile of shattered glass marked the spot where the light pole fell, inches from a parked car and feet from a crosswalk.
The incident was concerning ahead of the strong winds expected this weekend.
"I looked off the balcony and I seen the blues of the copper, and so I went on the balcony. I seen the lamppost fall over and it was busted into the street," said Bob Kurek.
Kurek has lived at Campbell and Rice for more than 50 years.
"It was rusted out at the bottom - perfectly around the bottom," he said of the lamppost.
Kurek is an alumnus of the Frederic Chopin Elementary School across the street at 2450 W. Rice St. So calling him invested in safety in the neighborhood is putting it lightly.
"Thank God that a car wasn't coming down the street when that thing feel over. It would have killed somebody," Kurek said. "Thank God the kids were still in school, not crossing going home."
Those concerns were why Kurek, a former city worker, was calling the City of Chicago out Thursday night.
"The city isn't handling their end," Kurek said.
He said the rusted-out light pole that fell into the street just before 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon narrowly missed the car parked nearby, and he has photos to prove it.
But it's not parked cars he's worried about.
"I know if anything happened to my family crossing the street or driving down the street, and that would fall on it, I'd be in a different of mood than I am right now," Kurek said, "and it wouldn't be a pretty one."
He's not alone.
"Thank god no kids were around," said concerned parent Karen Ramos.
Ramos' daughter goes to Chopin Elementary.
"It's really scary," Rams said. "I just hope Chicago city does get to fix this problem."
This was far from the first lamppost to fall in Chicago lately.
There were at least three incidents in which lamp posts fell in November.
On Wednesday, Nov. 27 amid high winds, pole fell right across the southbound express lanes of Lake Shore Drive near Goethe Street in the Gold Coast. Three lanes of the southbound Outer Drive had to be closed.
Less than a week earlier on Thursday, Nov. 21, a light pole came crashing down right outside the Thompson Center in the Loop, and hit a woman who was walking down LaSalle Street.
Just over a week before that, a city traffic light pole snapped and fell onto a sport-utility vehicle on Stony Island Avenue at 73rd Street. The front of Hector Martinez's car was destroyed.
Our CBS 2 Investigators have uncovered hundreds of dangerous light poles, injuries, and crumbling city infrastructure dating back to 2015.
On Wednesday night, Lavina said, "I hope that they, like, anchor them down better!"
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A representative said the Chicago Department of Transportation will be out to replace the pole at Campbell and Rice on Frida.
But Kurek's hope is, "Chicago needs to get their inspectors together and start getting out and checking all these things."
The CDOT representative said the agency will also check on other light poles around the one that fell when they replace it, so they can address any other safety issues.
We will follow up with them on that.
