Florida Sinkhole Takes Down Traffic Lights, Injures Motorist Who Crashed Against The Cables

Heavy rains and severe weather may have been the cause for a large sinkhole to open in a Florida roadway Sunday. It caused a concrete pole, with dozens of cables attached to it, to lean precariously close to the road. As a result, cables lay strewn across the busy roadway, posing a hazard to motorists, according to authorities.

A Saturated Ground

In a report filed by the Florida Highway Patrol, the sinkhole suddenly appeared approximately 5:19 a.m. in Marion County near the intersection of Dogwood Road and State Road 35. Weather officials say the sinkhole may have been the result of severe weather and heavy rains brought about by Tropical Storm Cristobal. The downpour made the ground very soft and saturated, causing it to suddenly cave in.

Since it appeared just beneath a concrete pole carrying dozens of cables and traffic signals, the poles precariously leaned on the road. A motorist was injured after crashing against the cables and road signs that were strewn across the highway. According to FOX35, as the vehicle struck the cables, it flipped over and injured the driver.

Like A Scene From An Action Movie

According to FHP, the vehicle ultimately came to a final stop on its wheels in the intersection. Police authorities say the car may have been speeding down the road, and poor visibility denied the driver the opportunity to see the cables in time, WFME reported. WFME-FM is the flagship National Public Radio member station based in Orlando, Florida, and owned by Community Communications, Inc.

Sgt. Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff’s office said that the public should be critically aware of their surroundings whenever they experience lots of rains like what happened Sunday. He advised everyone to be extremely cautious and just be aware. “That’s another reason not to drive really fast in the rain — not that this person was driving fast. But to just drive with caution, because you never know what is up ahead of you in a rain like this, certainly in Florida,” Bloom told WFME.

Keeping The Public Safe

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) crews are presently focused on keeping the public away from the hole by putting safety measures in place. Officials also decided to close lanes of the roadway Sunday to secure the place while FDOT crews scramble to repair the damage and close the sinkhole.