The incident of a car being swallowed by a sinkhole during Storm Ciara in Brentwood, Essex, has left the driver lucky to have survived. The sinkhole emerged in the early hours of the morning, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents by emergency services. Photos depict a partially submerged Toyota in the sinkhole, with emergency services present at the scene to recover the vehicle.
Ollie Watson, 50, discovered the submerged car outside his house around 2:30 am. He mentioned that he didn’t initially hear the crash and only went outside to investigate after his daughter heard a disturbance. Watson’s initial impression was that it was a road accident, but upon inspection, he realized that the car was sticking out of the hole. He also expressed his belief that the car will likely remain in the sinkhole for a while due to concerns about further sinking.
According to a spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, firefighters arrived at Hatch Road after reports of a sewer collapse at 01:34 am. They found that the hole extended into the road, trapping a car, and subsequently evacuated six properties due to unstable ground.