SUV Gets Sucked Into Large Sinkhole On NYC Street

An SUV was partly sucked into a massive sinkhole in Queens, images on social media showed Thursday.

The images of the shocking scene, shared by New York City Councilman Robert Holden, show the SUV, a Toyota RAV4, obliquely positioned as its front end is swallowed by the large opening close to the curb of a residential complex. The sinkhole opened on 70th Street near 52nd Avenue in Maspeth, authorities said in the following thread.

The New York City Fire Department and New York City Police Department responded to the scene for site safety, Holden said, adding that they were conducting an evaluation of the infrastructure.

Holden urged the public to report to authorities if any similar sinkholes are spotted in the locality. The sinkhole led to road closures in the area, Holden also said in the tweet.

It was determined that the vehicle was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. According to NBC New York, it took crews a whole day to hoist the car out of the sinkhole.

Wanzdi Sherpa said he spotted his brother's car in trouble when he went out to walk his dog. "I'm very shocked right, very shocked because this was right in front of my house," he said.

His brother, Thupten Topjy, is now worried because it is his only means of earning a livelihood for the family. However, he is still thankful that nobody got hurt.

The vehicle would have been occupied if Topjy hadn't taken a day off from work. He also disclosed that he normally starts his shift at the same time the vehicle was swallowed. "I feel lucky today," he said.

It wasn't immediately known what caused the sinkhole.

In October, a man was rescued after he accidentally fell into a sinkhole that opened up on a Bronx sidewalk. The man fell straight 15 feet into the sinkhole but escaped without serious injuries, except minor lacerations to his head. The man was treated at the scene and was later transported to a hospital.