DETROIT (WXYZ) — People living in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood in Detroit say they're concerned about the safety of roads after a driver went into a sinkhole Tuesday.
It happened near the intersection of Eastlawn and Scripps on the city's Eastside. Commika Shannon says her 20-year-old son was behind the wheel.
"When I turned onto Scripps and I seen my baby car I just freaked like oh my God," said Shannon.
Shannon says at the time of the crash, her son was leaving his grandmother's house. She says because roads in the area had been experiencing flooding and water issues for days, the roadway was super icy and difficult to navigate.
"He was coming home and was trying to figure out which way to go when he slid to the left. Once he gained control of the car, he went into the sidewalk trying to get back to the street. That’s when the car went into the sinkhole," said Shannon.
Shannon says after receiving a panicked phone call from her son, she made her way to the scene. She says the 20-year-old was hospitalized with a back injury due to the accident but is back home recovering. She believes his car is a total loss.
The city has since patched up the sinkhole but neighbors say they believe flooding, which they've been dealing with on and off for several years, contributed significantly to the break down/shift of the road's surface.
One neighbor who has lived at the corner for four decades says she's complained to the city about the issue countless times and shown up to city council meetings in hopes of having the issue fixed. She says every time the city has come out to address the water on the road, the issue returns again soon after.
"I've definitely seen a lot of flooding, a lot of the sidewalks get a lot of water," said Nina Dimambro who recently moved to a home nearby.
Dimambro says after hearing about the sinkhole she's now concerned about the safety of other roads in the neighborhood.
In a statement, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says contractors have been replacing a water main and lead service lines on Scripps as a part of a project in the neighborhood. The city went on to call the condition of the construction site "unacceptable" and said they will be addressing safety concerns immediately.
"The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s first concern is the health and safety of the driver of the vehicle that entered the sinkhole and the safety of people traversing Scripps Street," a spokesperson from the city said.
"We will reach out to the resident affected to offer our support."
Shannon says she wants the city to do better when it comes to up keeping neighborhoods.
"If I don’t pay my taxes what would the city do? Come and foreclose on my home. If my trash or my property is not kept up to par what would the city do? Give me a ticket. So what can we do to the city for them not taking care of the roads," Shannon asked.
"I just think that the city used the cheapest contractor that they could get to do the job and it’s not going to be a long term solution but a short term problem."
