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CHICAGO — A sinkhole swallowed three cars Thursday in Chicago, sending one man to the hospital and leaving a gigantic crater in the street.
An unoccupied parked vehicle was the first to fall in when the hole opened up at about 5:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Chicago Tribune. A silver pickup truck driven by Mirko Krivokuca then fell in, but received only "a couple of scratches." He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
A third parked car then fell in as its owner watched.
"I was really upset," Laide Giwa said. "I'm looking at my car going in the hole."
A fourth car was towed away from the hole as it started to fall in.
The sinkhole was caused by a 98-year-old water main that gave out.
"The water in that water main continued to run," Water Management Commissioner Thomas H. Powers told ABC7 Chicago. "Washed out the street, washed out the soil, the pavement couldn't handle its own weight anymore."
Contractors are currently assessing the damage to determine the next step.
