Imagine driving down the road and suddenly the road falls out from under you. That's what happened to one terrified driver. He plummeted straight into a sinkhole.
Kim Johnson explained that he was driving his truck with a trailer in Texas on April 7 when he drove into a sinkhole. Authorities arrived at the scene and managed to rescue Johnson from the sinkhole. From there, they transported him to Baylor Scott & White hospital
"I tried to brace myself because I hit the windshield over four times," Johnson told WFAA-TV.
Johnson is lucky to be alive after crashing into the sinkhole. However, authorities were unable to confirm whether the sinkhole opened underneath the truck or if he had driven into an already present hole.
Sinkhole Problem
However, I think what matters the most is the cause of the issue to begin with. It's not exactly the norm to drive around with your roads looking like Swiss cheese. Crews worked to fix the pipeline and get the road reopened just a few days later. However, residents in the area said that the city isn't doing enough to keep the area maintained. They criticized city officials.
Resident Terrance Perkins said that heavy rain was to blame."The city won't do anything about the drainage from your property going into the lake, so we catch all the debris, all the water and the erosion issue that is under the street," Perkins claimed.
In a statement, local Council Member Jaime Resendez said the issue of the sinkhole would be addressed.
"My office has been made aware of the sinkhole that opened up this morning on Riverway Dr., and my thoughts are with the individual who was injured," according to the statement. "I've been in contact with city staff to ensure that the site is secured and that an investigation is conducted to determine the cause. I understand and share the concerns of residents. Ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods is a top priority, and I will be working closely with city departments to assess the condition of surrounding infrastructure and explore both immediate and long-term solutions."
