BEAUMONT — A driver managed to free himself from his pickup truck after a giant sinkhole opened up while he was traveling across the intersection of Central at East Drive, swallowing the truck while he was inside with several feet of water at the bottom and more water gushing in from a broken main.
Police rushed to the scene when the call came in at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday. The city says the broken water main is the source of the sinkhole, estimated to be about 20 feet across and 20 feet deep.
Officers at the scene told KFDM it was a different and much larger problem than they could have ever imagined. Police and wrecker drivers with Spanky’s say they’ve worked a lot of calls involving vehicles, but nothing like this.
The Beaumont Police and Fire Departments, Streets Department, Water Utilities Department, Emergency Operations Center, and Spanky’s Towing were notified to assist. Officers blocked the intersection and Spanky’s worked to remove the pickup truck from the sinkhole.
The Ford F-150 4×4 pickup plunged into what quickly became a small pond with water gushing in when the street surface caved in. The driver was able to crawl out and we’re told he’s okay.
The pickup truck was wedged at a 45 degree angle in the sinkhole, with the front end against a giant piece of concrete at the bottom of the sinkhole, preventing the entire truck from falling in. The bed of the pickup truck was up in the air and the rear tires were resting at the edge.
City water and street crews responded. Spanky’s Wrecker had the difficult task of getting the pickup truck out of the sinkhole. They used one of their largest wreckers and a smaller one to hoist the truck out of the sinkhole and tow it away by about 8 a.m., about six hours after the truck plunged in.
City crews cut off water and placed cones and barricades around the sinkhole.
City Manager Chris Boone came out to the scene and told KFDM that city crews will assess the area and repair the water main. Filling in the sinkhole and fixing the street will take longer. It’s not known how long that may take.
They were able to restore water service late in the afternoon. No Boil Water Notice is needed.
“As with any city, you have incidents, especially in a city like Beaumont,” said Boone. “We have older infrastructure and so things happen. You know, we’ve had a long period of rain, and a long period without rain. So that wreaks havoc on the soil. It effects the infrastructure.//The good news is–no one was hurt. The good news is–a lot of great teamwork between the different departments of the city.”
STATEMENT FROM CITY OF BEAUMONT (3:15 P.M. SUNDAY)
Repairs to the damaged water main at Central Drive and East Drive in Beaumont have been completed, all valves have been reopened, and water service has been fully restored to affected customers.
While water service has been restored, work at the site is ongoing. Crews will continue repairing the remaining underground infrastructure, and the intersection of East Drive and Central Drive will remain closed until those repairs are complete. Please continue to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
Thank you for your patience as our crews worked through the night to restore water service and continue making the remaining repairs.
STATEMENT FROM CITY OF BEAUMONT (2 P.M. SUNDAY)
City of Beaumont crews are working to repair a water main break that caused a portion of the roadway to collapse near the intersection of Central Drive and East Drive early Sunday morning.
At approximately 2:15 a.m., a pickup truck entered the damaged section of roadway before the area could be secured. The driver was able to safely exit the vehicle.
Preliminary assessments indicate the water main break undermined the surrounding soil, storm sewer infrastructure, and roadway base, resulting in the collapse. Public Works and Water Utilities crews remain on site assessing the full extent of the damage and completing repairs.
Crews were required to install a new valve before repairs to the damaged water line could begin. The valve has now been installed, and the initial repair is underway. The City estimates the water line repair will take approximately 1 1/2 hours to complete.
The water system maintained the minimum pressure required by state regulations throughout the incident, so a boil water notice is not required at this time. Once repairs are complete, crews will flush the lines and collect the required bacteriological samples as part of the normal repair process.
The intersection of East Drive and Central Drive will remain closed until all infrastructure repairs have been completed. Motorists are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
Additional updates will be provided as repairs progress and more information becomes available.