The light pole that fell over in a freak accident on the Princes Highway at Corrimal on Thursday was due for replacement on August 6 for rust in its base, according to Endeavour Energy.
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A woman and a child were lucky to escape injury when the pole fell on their parked car about 5pm.
The pole blocked the highway, bringing traffic to a standstill for some time.
An Endeavour Energy spokeswoman said rust at the base of the pole coupled with strong winds were to blame for the accident.
‘‘Based on a risk assessment, the inspection revealed the need to replace this column within three months due to rust in its base,’’ she said.
‘‘The column was scheduled for replacement by our regional crews on August 6. ‘‘Regrettably, the column failed on August 1 in the high winds experienced in Corrimal over the past few days.’’
Wind gusts of 50-60km/h were recorded at Bellambi Point weather station around the time of the accident.
The spokeswoman said it was a ‘‘rare’’ occurrence for light poles to fall over.
‘‘Our inspection report indicates there are currently no other streetlight columns at risk of falling over in Corrimal,’’ she said.
‘‘This is a rare event, and we are grateful no-one was hurt.
"As per normal practices, we are undertaking a thorough investigation into this incident.’’
The spokeswoman said the company had contacted the owner of the damaged vehicle, and was providing assistance ‘‘to make sure she has a vehicle’’.
