Photo: ABC News
The heavy rains falling in Southern Colorado have caused serious floods and at least one massive sinkhole. The latter swallowed a Toyota RAV4 and still had room to spare.
The woman driving the SUV tells the media she hit a pothole on West Oxford Avenue near Santa Fe Drive. A fellow motorist realized what was about to happen and alerted her to get out of the car. She grabbed her phone and exited the car – in the nick of time.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw the Toyota RAV4 being swallowed by the sinkhole. The car fell in the running water and mud, and was totaled in the impact. The driver tells 9News she would have probably not survived the fall, especially since the impact made the airbags deploy – which would have made getting out of the car more difficult.
As it happens, this is the same spot where, in June 2015, another sinkhole swallowed the SUV of Sgt. Greg Miller. He tells the same media outlet that getting out of his car then was an incredibly taxing feat, agreeing with the female driver that she may not have survived the fall and the running water.
As for what made the sinkhole appear, Sheridan City Manager Devin Granbery says that the increased quantity of water made an underground pipe burst. When it did, the water completely washed away 15 feet of compact earth, dirt and gravel, which supported the road above.
Basically, what was left was the a thin layer of concrete hanging over running water and mud. When the SUV rolled onto the concrete, its weight was enough to create a hole, through which it fell. The car was completely submerged in water.
Authorities were eventually able to pull the car out – not that this helped the driver in any way, since there’s nothing she can do with it now, because it’s totaled.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw the Toyota RAV4 being swallowed by the sinkhole. The car fell in the running water and mud, and was totaled in the impact. The driver tells 9News she would have probably not survived the fall, especially since the impact made the airbags deploy – which would have made getting out of the car more difficult.
As it happens, this is the same spot where, in June 2015, another sinkhole swallowed the SUV of Sgt. Greg Miller. He tells the same media outlet that getting out of his car then was an incredibly taxing feat, agreeing with the female driver that she may not have survived the fall and the running water.
As for what made the sinkhole appear, Sheridan City Manager Devin Granbery says that the increased quantity of water made an underground pipe burst. When it did, the water completely washed away 15 feet of compact earth, dirt and gravel, which supported the road above.
Basically, what was left was the a thin layer of concrete hanging over running water and mud. When the SUV rolled onto the concrete, its weight was enough to create a hole, through which it fell. The car was completely submerged in water.
Authorities were eventually able to pull the car out – not that this helped the driver in any way, since there’s nothing she can do with it now, because it’s totaled.
Sink hole eastbound Oxford Ave. east of Natches Ct. Oxford closed eastbound at Natches Ct. Alternate routes advised. There is a car in there! Driver is okay. pic.twitter.com/5X4WIdm3Ge
— Sheridan Police Dept (@Police_spd) July 25, 2018
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