Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The Taco John’s sign toppled Wednesday, its base eroded from road salt.

NEW ULM — A combination of rust and wind took down the Taco John’s pylon sign Wednesday.

The sign fell down around 2 p.m. breaking at the base and falling away from the restaurant toward 13th South Street.

Business owner Andrew Lilleodden said Minnesota winter caused the fall. The bottom of the pylon was rusted out from road salt swept off Broadway. The wind did the rest.

Fortunately the direction of the wind pushed the sign over in the one place it could do the least damage, landing in the snow off the street.

Had the sign gone another direction, it would have hit the restaurant or landed on Broadway.