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Light pole crashes on top of car in Pacific Beach

Posted at 6:11 PM, Jun 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-17 21:33:00-04

San Diego (KGTV)- With no warning, a light pole came crashing down on top of a car in Pacific Beach. Neighbors are worried that what they found could shine a light on a bigger problem.

“It’s really scary that you can be walking down the street and something could fall out of the sky like that,” says neighbor Kevin Payne.

Payne says he was walking in the area on Saturday, along Ingraham Street and Reed Avenue when he heard the loud crash. He says a San Diego lifeguard, who was driving by, stopped to section off the area until crews arrived.

The base of the pole is filled with corrosion and rust. Neighbors say to the human eye it would have been tough to spot.

“You wouldn’t notice just walking by, you would need to take off the cover of the base,” says Payne. “I think once you took the cover off it would have been clear as day.”

In a statement to 10News, the city didn’t pinpoint the cause of the collapse but says the light is scheduled to be replaced this week. In the meantime, city crews will assess the other lights in the area to ensure they are “functional and stable.”

The owner of the damaged car was not inside at the time. The city says she will need to make a claim with the Risk Management Department to determine who is liable.