A Prius in the Pit

Dig a hole, and someone will fall in.

It started a couple of weeks ago when a cavity was discovered under the intersection of Garfield and Golf Course Road in Midland, Texas. Work crews have dug up and replaced much of the bad water drainage pipe. But the work is not yet finished, and currently there's a deep ditch in the intersection.

Ditch Diving -- In the predawn hours this morning a woman drove a Prius past the "Road Closed" signs, plowing through the fence into the ditch.

Try to visualize this in slow motion. The vehicle enters the hole with the right wheels still on the street. The left wheels go into the hole tilting the car to the left. The car starts to roll, and while the vehicle is almost sideways, the left front strikes a conduit in the hole. That stops the front of the car, and the rear comes over the top. The car rights itself and settles at the bottom of the ditch, upright, facing the opposite direction from which it came.

Sunk in the Sink Hole -- The driver called in the accident report herself, and she was said to have incurred minor injuries. As you can see from one of the photos, the airbag had been deployed.

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Police officers speculated that alcohol may have been involved.

Comments

[Jeff]

George, you continue to be a Sinkhole Correspondent, first-class - good coverage, great shots.

Driving around that intersection every day, twice-a-day (at least), I have great appreciation for how much it takes to get your vehicle where she landed hers. And this seems a little different from your 'average' MVA in a busy intersection, or on a open stretch of road. I'm wondering if she'll be liable for the recovery costs, or if we (the public) will have to cover those costs.

[Geo]

Sinkhole correspondent -- Heh heh. Well, I guess we all eventually find our places in society. Jeff, in case it was not obvious before, you've got friends in low places.

Good question about the recovery costs. I believe the hospital will bill for ambulance rides. The crane operator and tow service will probably bill the car owner, and if she has collision insurance those expenses might be covered.

I don't know whether the city bills for damage to city property which in this case would be damage to the fence and the pipe. But if so, I would think that the vehicle liability insurance would cover that.

[Wallace]

This person needs to be fined heavily and sent to the Tiger Woods Driving School

[Geo]

Tiger Woods Driving School -- good one, Wallace. That school would have an interesting obstacle course: trees, hydrants, holes, etc. They should probably start out in golf carts.

[Trish]

Police officers speculated that alcohol may have been involved. Gee... you think???

[Geo]

Trish, that was a lame joke on my part. The officers did not equivocate.

[Fog Light]

Excellent topic.I really like to read this.