Problem pothole damages dozens of vehicles on I-75 south

DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) - Danger on the freeway tonight after dozens of cars pull off to the side of I-75 with flat tires after falling into a huge pothole

“It was like a big boom,” said Heather Fuerth.

“By the time I saw it, it was huge,” said another motorist that had to pull over.

The pothole was about three feet wide and three to four inches deep.  It flattened, sliced, and bent tires one after another on I-75 south of Springwells in Detroit.

“I can’t believe it, I almost wrecked,” said one man waiting to get his tire changed.

“Since we’ve been here there have been eight cars that have had flats in the last ten minutes,” said Chris Fuerth.  Not only did his vehicle fall into the pothole, but so did his brother-in-law’s who was following

“After they hit it, I hit it.  Bam bam,” said Walter O’Neil.

Their number one concern became safety after being forced to change tires on the freeway in the dark.

“Then you have to find a way to get over without getting killed,” said O’Neil.

“Why is no one out here addressing the situation before someone gets killed?” asked Fuerth.

The Michigan Department of Transportation tells 7 Action News they were notified of the problem at 7:05 p.m., but admit this was not their first time trying to fix it the pothole.

“Everyone knows there is a problem.  They have been out here all day.  But nobody seems to be wanting to fix it,” said Fuerth.

Crews had been out earlier in the day to patch it up. The MDOT spokesperson says what they patched with came out and the hole opened up again.

“This should not be allowed.  It’s a very, very dangerous spot,” said Fran Grayer from Ontario.

As soon as they got the call, MDOT had patrol crews coming out to help people with their vehicles and to work close down two lanes of traffic to patch the pothole back up. 

Right now for the weekend it is a temporary fix, MDOT said if it keeps happening they will have to shut down two lanes of traffic for a while to make a more permanent fix.

MDOT also tells 7 Action News you can file a claim online with them if your car has been damaged, but they said drivers do not stand a good chance at getting their money back because if they paid out every claim they would not have enough money to fix the roads or future road problems.

If you want to file a claim with MDOT you can visit their website here: https://www.michigan.gov/mdot