Sunday morning commuters in downtown Cleveland got more drama than they bargained for when a massive sinkhole opened up at West St. Clair Avenue and West 3rd Street, nearly swallowing a car. The driver managed to get out safely, and a tow truck later hauled the vehicle back to solid ground. Police shut down the intersection and told drivers to steer clear while crews figure out what exactly gave way under the pavement.
Scene and immediate response
Officers arrived around 9 a.m. at West St. Clair and West 3rd, where the roadway had literally collapsed under a car, according to 19 News. The station reports the car was pulled out by a tow truck and that police have the intersection blocked off while they assess the stability of the street and wait for city crews to take a closer look.
Why Cleveland sees so many breaks
City officials and engineers have a familiar list of suspects for collapses like this one: aging infrastructure and seasonal stress. Roughly half of Cleveland's water pipes are more than 80 years old, and experts say the region's freeze-thaw cycles and heavy weather increase the odds of water main breaks and the sinkholes that can follow, per News 5 Cleveland.
What officials told reporters
"Increased water main breaks this time of year are common," Cleveland Water told reporters, noting the utility averages more breaks in winter and invests about $25 million a year on replacing mains. The agency asks anyone who spots a main break to call its emergency line at 216-664-3060, per News 5 Cleveland.
Part of a regional pattern
Similar incidents have popped up across Northeast Ohio in recent weeks. In one mid-February case, an Akron sinkhole that nearly swallowed a car sent three people to the hospital and was traced to an 8-inch water main break, according to 19 News. The cluster of breaks has renewed scrutiny of the region's century-old underground pipes.
This is a developing story. City crews are expected to inspect the damage and determine what repairs are needed, and this post will be updated as officials release more information.
