Chicago refused to pay Bucktown woman when rusty light pole snapped, damaged her car

On September 28, 2025, just before 11:10 p.m., a bright light flashed in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood at the very moment a rusty 300-pound light pole snapped and landed on a woman's car. Ring camera video captured the whole thing.

The next morning, Kyra Puetz went outside and found the damage.

She first saw big dents on the driver's side of her car.

"I'm not able to roll this window down anymore. The dent is so big, it won't roll back up," she said.

She also found scratches from the edge of the roof down to the driver's side doors that she said she can't get off.

She had no idea what had happened overnight. 

"I thought it was a hit and run," she said.

Then, she found the rusty remains of the light pole on the sidewalk.

"It fell over, hit the top of my car and bounced into the street," said Puetz. "And I believe the city must have cleaned it up overnight."

Later, she found her neighbor's Ring videos, showing the incident. She was relieved, thinking the city would pay for the damage since it was a city light pole.

"It's in the bag," she recalled thinking. "They're gonna pay me for the damages."

She filed a claim for the nearly $3,000 it would take to fix her car, submitted photos, and told someone she even had the videos. But by early February, she got a denial letter in the mail. It noted, "Our Principal regrets that it must decline any claim resulting from this incident."

She said she called the Law Department for more information on the denial and was told if someone had called to report the rusty pole before it had snapped, the city would have paid her claim.

"I see their reasoning with relying on the citizens, but at the end of the day, the pole fell, so I feel as if they should take accountability and pay for it," said Puetz.

The Chicago Department of Transportation confirmed that "Residents can report damaged or deteriorating poles through 311 by submitting a 'Street Light Pole Damage Complaint,' which helps inform ongoing maintenance and replacement priorities."   

CBS News Chicago Investigators, through a public records request, discovered how many claims for damage related to falling light poles the city receives and pays.

Between January 2021 and February 2026, 64 claims were filed asking for at least $1.2 million in reimbursement for damages. Six claims remained open at the time of the request. The city paid $9,290 for two approved claims. The rest were closed without payment.

"It's kind of crazy the city isn't taking responsibility for it," said Puetz.

CDOT said the light pole that fell on Puetz's car dates back to the 1980s. In a statement, the agency said, "It was last inspected in 2017, at which time, inspectors noted no observed structural issues and a routine amount of rust."

"This should have been somehow inspected more frequently," said Illinois Institute of Technology Engineering professor Gongkang Fu. "If you own the structure, you need to maintain it. You need to make sure that it's safe, not the public that uses it."

Fu used to work for the Illinois Department of Transportation and said some national studies have suggested inspections about every four years.

Chicago has more than 334,000 light poles citywide. In 2024, CDOT replaced 890 poles and installed new lighting on 312 blocks. In 2025, CDOT replaced 204 poles and installed new lighting on 201 blocks. As of March 20, 2026, CDOT has replaced 176 poles and installed new lighting on 26 blocks.

"Year-to-year totals can vary based on a number of factors, including contractor capacity and other streetlighting projects," CDOT said.

CDOT said it replaced the light pole on Puetz's block the next day with a "serviceable asset from our existing inventory." The rust-colored discoloration seen on the new pole is "surface oxidation" and "does not necessarily impact the structural integrity of the pole," they said.

The last citywide assessment of light poles was conducted in 2017-2018. CDOT told us it is considering options for an "updated systemwide assessment," but said it is a "significant undertaking."