It had toppled in the fierce wind. Workers moved it to the side of the street where the light pole's rusty base can be seen. "Now that I think about it, anybody could have been hit," Ferrari said.

Unbeknownst to Kirk, the light pole had been quietly decaying — its base rusting in the elements ... that light poles which sit on a metal box where all the wiring is housed have a design ...

The pole also had a heavy power electric break box attached to it ... a long arm from a truck grips a light pole as workers surround the base. The pole came loose and was pulled away.

"I've also talked with some highway departments that go in and fill the base of these with concrete ... two male suspects tampering with a light pole power box on Butterfield Boulevard at Fisher ...

But traffic light poles are lightweight, hollow, and face constant wind pressure. Instead of brute stability, they need flexibility and precise alignment. Enter the standoff base plate.

(AL.com / Mike D. Smith) Q: There's a light pole that has broken off its base on the U.S. 280 westbound exit ramp to Hollywood Boulevard, next to Express Oil on the way to Mountain Brook Village.