Just before 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening, motorists traveling down Lake Drive started calling 911 after their vehicles were damaged when a sinkhole opened near Springwater Drive.
The hole in the asphalt measured approximately 3 feet by 4 feet but looking into the hole revealed a much larger cavity under the roadway. Extending approximately 10 feet in one direction and 6 feet in the other while reaching a depth of approximately 4 feet under the roadway, this sinkhole damaged multiple vehicles that were traveling by when it first opened up.
One man driving a Nissan Murano drove into the sinkhole and bounced back out. His vehicle suffered two passenger side flat tires. Another man at the scene, who was a passenger in a vehicle that also hit the sinkhole, suffered minor injuries to his face from the impact.
Bystanders attempted to divert traffic along Springwater Drive to avoid the scene, however, some motorists failed to heed the warnings of those flagging them down.
San Bernardino County Public Works arrived on scene at about 7:15 and began to assess the situation. By 7:25 CHP had also arrived on scene and closed the roadway. Public works erected barricades and road cones and established a hard closure, detouring traffic on to Springwater Drive for the night.
County workers filled the sink hole with dirt to ensure no pedestrians fell into the hole. Officials at the scene advised that they would revisit the site the following day and perform repairs.