“It was kind of unbelievable for a minute. I was like is this really happening,” said Matt Jacques Monday morning after his car was swallowed up in a hole created after a water main break.
It was normal Monday morning drive to work for Jacques as he went down Truman Boulevard in Beverly Hills until the ground opened up.
There was water, but it was much deeper than a puddle.
“I tried to reverse and back it up and it wasn’t happening, just started sucking my car in and it started leaning. Water started coming up through the bottom. So I had to get out,” he said.
It was all happening in front Ivy Gillespe’s house. She said emergency crews got there quick.
“Luckily, t was the fastest I’ve ever seen anything get acted on. But I’ve never seen this happen before,” she said.
While Jacques got out ok, his Honda kept sinking until was submerged.
We're told driver made it out safely. Thought it was standing water. Turns out huge hole caused by water main break. LIVE @9 @abcactionnews pic.twitter.com/9luqVOHtXz
— Rodney Dunigan (@rodneydunigan) November 14, 2016
“I’m ok. I got out whatever but it’s just a hassle. I’m on my way to work. Supposed to get my daughter after school. Now I have I have no car. You didn’t expect for the road to just fall out,” he said.
At first, most people here thought it was sinkhole.
But the cause of this mess was that water main break.
“I am glad it’s the case, in essence it is a sinkhole right now because it is sunken in. Hopefully it’s something they are able to fix so it doesn’t expand into anything worse,” said Gillespie.
Jacques beat up ride was salvaged, pulled out of the hole in relatively good shape.
The road stayed closed for most of the day as repair crews fixed the water line, then they started filling the hole.
The water main is operated by Rolling Oaks Utilities.
We haven’t heard back from them yet on what might have caused the break.
