DETROIT – A sinkhole opened up on a road in Southwest Detroit this week, swallowing the car of a woman who was driving on it.
On Thursday, May 23, a sinkhole opened on Lexington Street in Southwest Detroit, taking an entire sedan into it. The woman driving the vehicle, was able to escape without any injuries, according to witnesses.
On Wednesday, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department sent a crew to assess the water main that runs beneath the roadway. Neighbors said they’ve had rivers of running water under Lexington Street since Monday.
What nobody knew: The 12-inch water main, installed in 1902, had likely been leaking for weeks.
The leak eventually led to the massive sinkhole in the side of the road. Some witnesses grabbed their phones to record in disbelief. Others, like Jimena Ramos’ uncle, ran to help.
“The lady, she was driving by, [and] all of the sudden it just caved in,” Ramos said.
Neighbors say the driver did not appear to be hurt after the incident. The DWSD was on the scene after it happened to begin the repair.
“Based on the hole and the void underneath, this has been running for quite some time,” DWSD Deputy Director Sam Smalley said.
The leak wasn’t caught because the water found a path out through the sewer, only bubbling to the surface this week, officials said.
West Lafayette Boulevard near Green Street was closed this week for repair work, and it was expected to remain closed for the foreseeable future.