A Chevy S-10 pickup appeared to split in half Tuesday after driving into a puddle that turned out to be a rather deep sinkhole, reports CBS Boston.
“I was like, oh no, I’m screwed,” Vincent McCue, the driver of the truck, told CBS Boston. “Stupid mistake, trying to get out of traffic I guess.”
The traffic in question was caused by a water main break near the Greendale Mall in Worcester, Massachusetts. The mall sits in a low area near the junction of Interstates 290 and 190, which is elevated over the general area. McCue took an access road to try to escape the traffic. He drove into what looked like nothing more than a large puddle in the road, which is to be expected near a water main break. What he didn’t expect was for the front of his Chevy S-10 to immediately sink into several feet of water. This is why you should never drive into a large puddle in the road.
McCue was unhurt and quickly got out of the truck. Nearby Department of Public Works personnel ran over and told him to stay put. McCue didn’t really have a choice at that point.
Police soon arrived on the scene, and an officer rescued McCue.
“Whoever that guy is I’m truly thankful for him,” he said. His rescuer turned out to be none other than Chief Steven M. Sargent.
Not in as good shape was McCue’s truck, which was later removed from the sinkhole. “You really are a bald idiot,” McCue said the person at the tow yard told him when he went to visit his truck, which appeared to break in two when it fell into the sinkhole.
The cause of the watery chasm turned out to be an 18-foot long crack in a 24-inch water main pipe, which was replaced Wednesday night. The leak spilled approximately seven million gallons of water.