Sinkhole takes driver by surprise
LA CENTER, Wash. - A sinkhole took out part of a road in La Center early Saturday morning and an unsuspecting driver ended up crashing right into it.
Northeast Charity Road is now closed at the 31000 block and detour signs are in place to keep folks safe. The detour is about three miles around the closure.
According to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, deputies and rescuers were called to the location overnight on a report that a vehicle had driven into a sinkhole.
When they arrived, they discovered that a vehicle did, indeed, crash into the sinkhole. The driver, a 47-year-old man from La Center, was able to get himself out of the vehicle. He suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Officials investigating what happened determined that the roadway collapsed due to a plugged culvert that resulted in erosion.
Water and phone service was also knocked out in the immediate area.
Photo courtesy of the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
Sobering moment.
Definitely a washout.
When I was a teenager back in the 70s we were flying down some back-roads near the coast and slammed the brakes on and screamed as we came up to the edge of a freshly washed out bridge. Our front tires went over the edge and the car high-centered on the edge of the pavement. About a 40 foot drop to the river.
that's not a sinkhole, it's a washout
 @beesknees ~ Whatever you call it, it's SCARY..!!!  :-)
 @margay1 I was a Marshal up there and it is hard to believe they even have asphalt roads and this was not uncommon in the olden days when many of the roads were still gravel. I know, hard to grasp, but it really was not that long ago...
Whoa..! Â Â That is one serious sinkhole..! Â Â What a scary experience that must've been for that poor driver..! Â Hope he recovers soon..! Â Â
Yikes! I'm glad the driver did not sustain life threatening injuries. I wish him a speedy recovery. That's quite the sink hole. This could've ended much worse.
dang potholes keep getting worse
That could bend your rims. :(
 @WebFootSTi ~  For sure..!  I would think it could also break an axle and/or bend up the frame on your car, depending on how you hit it...Â
 @margay1  @WebFootSTi I wonder who gets the bill? Insurance company that goes after the county for negligence?Â
Why did it cause power and water loss? I don't see anything near the hole.
 @Pvpbw Water and phone, not power. You can see a pipe and a wire of some sort in the pic. Probably broke underground when the road sunk.
@pdx10 Now I see it.
I've been sitting on the side of the road when it gave way and my car slid into the culvert. It's scary when the earth (literally) moves under your feet, but driving off it would be worse.
Well, maybe it was started from all that rain we had. I won't be surprised if more of these show up.
 @lee986321 Perhaps in a poor county that cannot check on everything, but my guess here is a lazy county having worked there that has the money...
Maybe Sammy should offer to send up green paint for bike lanes.
 @Jamie Especially up in La Center...
I once saw a gap like that in Thailand
 @LostSoul Along 'The Street of Dreams' where you got that crappy tattoo??
@boned @LostSoul and the gift that keeps on giving.
@LostSoul that's TMI! for sure
 @LostSoul I do not wish to know that!