Multiple people were injured after a light pole came crashing down on the corner of West 81st Street and Central Park West. Photo credit © 2025 Rick Smolan.
By Gus Saltonstall
Multiple people were injured Saturday morning on the Upper West Side after a light pole and traffic light came crashing to the ground, a police spokesperson confirmed and photos from the incident show.
A police spokesperson told West Side Rag that a light pole fell to the ground at the corner of West 81st Street and Central Park West around 10:45 a.m., while “maintenance work” was taking place. Four people were injured in the incident, all transported to Mount Sinai Morningside in stable condition, NYPD added.
Police would not provide more details about how the light pole was knocked to the ground, but Rick Smolan, who arrived at the scene moments after it happened, told the Rag that it appeared like the top of a truck struck elevated electrical wires at the nearby intersection, which then pulled down the light poles and traffic lights.
Photo credit © 2025 Rick Smolan.
“Bystanders immediately started helping people who were hurt,” Smolan told the Rag on a phone call. “It was great to see everybody step in and help.”
“It’s a miracle the weight of the traffic light that fell on them didn’t kill them,” Smolan added, while also mentioning that the driver of the truck proceeded to climb to the top of his vehicle to untangle it from the wires, so that the intersection would not be blocked off to traffic.
“Passersby yelled at him to be careful because everyone was worried the wires were hot and that he was going to electrocute himself,” Smolan said.
Photo credit © 2025 Rick Smolan.
There have been no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing, police said.
This is a developing story, please check back in for updates.
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