SUV With 4-Year-Old & His Grandmother Gets Stuck In Sinkhole
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COOPER CITY (CBSMiami) -- A 4-year old is safe in his mother's arms after a sinking situation with his grandmother Thursday.
A grandmother and 4-year old Angel Otero were driving in through Griffin Road and SW 100th Avenue.
"Abuela was scared and we were stuck," said Angel.
The driver, Dolores Otero, was going into the parking lot, attempting to park, when the ground gave way sending them into a 10-by-10 foot sinkhole with water rushing in.
"I just thought it was water or puddle," she told CBS's Carey Codd. "All of a sudden my car starts going 'ehh, ehhh, ehh' and you saw what it looked like."
Dolores Otero said the front of the car started filling up with water and it filled parkway up her legs.
"She said all her legs were completely wet," said Angel's mother Michelle. "She thought it was going to completely open up underneath her."
Dolores Otero feared the car might land on its' side – or worse.
"I was afraid it was gonna open up more and I was gonna be in there underneath ground," Otero said.
Mike Jachles with Broward Sheriff's Fire Rescue explained, "She obviously saw the ground was compromised so she stopped as she was entering that parking lot. She stopped short of that but the water was too much apparently. That ground gave way and the next thing she knew the nose of her vehicle was nose down in the water."
Angel was in a booster seat – scared about the water pouring in.
"I'm thinking that something is very – something is happening to me," said Angel. "But I was so worried about Abuela."
Dolores Otero said a pair of Good Samaritans pulled her and Angel to safety from the driver's side of the vehicle. She's grateful that no one was seriously hurt and is still trying to deal with fright she felt.
Michelle Otero is relieved her son and mother-in-law made it out but she says the car may be a total loss.
"She's shooken up. I mean even while making the insurance claim, I had to take the phone and take over because she was crying hysterically," said Michelle Otero.
Fire officials say the sinkhole was caused by a possible water main break.
Chopper4 was over the scene around 3 p.m. where crews could be seen working on fixing the sinkhole.
The McDonald's location will remain closed Thursday but will reopen on Friday. Staff at that location will have to boil water until it's deemed safe.
Now, Dolores Otero wants answers about how this happened and why no one blocked off this area before she drove into the hole. She also wants some resolution about who's going to pay to fix her car or buy her a replacement.
