Sinkhole Swallows Up Van In South LA
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A parked van fell into a sinkhole created by a water main break in a South Los Angeles neighborhood early Tuesday morning.
The sinkhole formed in the 3600 block of South Buckingham Road, sending a van tilting into it. The van, which belongs to a family who reside on the street, was parked at the time and no one was inside.
According to the L.A. Department of Water and Power, an eight-inch cast iron main broke, creating the sinkhole.
Amber Anderson, who owns the 1993 Dodge Explorer, told CBSLA she slept through the water main break, but was only awoken up by her barking dog.
"Came out my front door and realized, wow, my van behind me is inside of a hole," Anderson said.
A neighbor's security camera captured live footage of the sinkhole opening up and the van falling in. Anderson said this is the second time a sinkhole has opened up on the block.
"Three houses down, we had like a smaller sinkhole, where a water line broke again and it made a hole into the ground," she said.
Buckingham Road was closed between Obama and Exposition boulevards while LADWP crews repaired the main break and sinkhole.
The cause of the water main break was not known. It's unclear if the van sustained any major damage from the incident.