Parked Dodge Becomes Victim to Massive Sinkhole in Virginia

Bystanders were able to shoot video of the incident just as the car, a red Dodge Caravan, was going down. It was then shared on social media where it predictably went viral. As we speak, the car is still about 20 feet down, at the bottom of the massive sinkhole, and the road remains closed indefinitely.

WUSA9 reports that Prince William County Fire and Rescue is operating on the premise that a large pipe going under the road exploded and everything gave way. The sinkhole appeared on the road crossing a creek, right next to the water drain believed to have burst from too much water.

The incident was due to a combination of factors, with the most important being the heavy rains that fell in the area in recent weeks. The drain was overwhelmed and burst and water washed away the ground from under the road, causing it to collapse.

The road is now closed and authorities have offered no estimate for when it might open again. A crane will have to be used to remove the Dodge from inside the sinkhole. At this point, the only upside is that no one was hurt, which is almost miraculous considering that the road is heavily circulated on the regular.

As for the owner of the car, no word yet from them. However, it’s a given that the Dodge is totaled: in the footage obtained by WUSA9, it’s clear that there is no salvaging it, as it lies under a pile of rocks and concrete at the bottom of the sinkhole.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is warning people to steer clear of the sinkhole until it’s fixed, because it remains unstable. “Don’t assume the concrete or the asphalt is going to hold you, especially if it rains again,” VDOT spokesperson Ellen Kamilakis says in a statement.