Sinkhole Swallows Car In Md. After Water Main Break
BLADENSBURG, Md. (WJZ) -- Winter can take a toll below ground---and when it does, a mess can surface.
Alex DeMetrick reports it happened Tuesday morning in Bladensburg when a waterline burst and part of the street caved in.
In the daylight, it looks bad enough, but the sinkhole opened up in the dark.
"It was a little scary. Yeah, it's just like a bunch of water flooded the house," said Leslie Hernandez.
Shortly after 3:30 a.m., a broken waterline turned homeowners into evacuees, leaving little time to pack up belongings. One boy who left without his shoes was given a lift by a firefighter down the block to dryer ground.
It was a lot closer for the family who had just gotten into their car and were reaching for their seat belts when it began to plunge underwater.
"Thank God they didn't put the seat belt on and that helped to get out of the car," said Luz Martinez. "If not, they go in the hole."
It took four hours to close off the right valves and begin repairs of a 90-year-old waterline only 12 inches in diameter.
Bladensburg's town hall was stunned at the size of the resulting damage.
"Yes indeed," said a councilmember. "Yes indeed, it's amazing."
While this kind of damage is unusual for such a small waterline, water main breaks in winter are not.
"We see the cold water come through the pipes; it exacerbates any issues that might be," said Jerry Irvine, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. "A crack or a fissure contraction causes the pipe to rupture."
The force of water under pressure does the rest below ground---and above.
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission says there have been 400 water line breaks this month alone. Most cause far less damage than Tuesday morning's.
