NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Nothing can stop the "Pothole Killer" — not even a sinkhole.
One day after the giant truck fell into a sinkhole near 18th Street and South Avenue, the driver was back to work smoothing out potholes. He wasn't hurt, and the truck wasn't damaged.
An 8-inch water main broke, and the water leaking underground weakened the road. The "Pothole Killer" was the unfortunate vehicle driving over that very spot when it gave way Thursday afternoon.
"I felt my tire sink and didn't think much of it because throughout the day, I hit a ton of potholes. As I begin to patch [a pothole there], I notice the truck begin to sink more on my left hand side," said driver Ed Jones. "I was in pretty deep. From the driver's side I was able, almost able to reach out and touch the ground."
When the truck is fully-loaded with patching material — which it was at the time of the accident — it weighs 33,000 pounds.
Channel 2's Heather Ly asked Niagara Falls Public Works Director John Caso if the sinkhole is a sign of a bigger infrastructure problem.
"It is. We've got some problem areas. I'm sure the water department will tell you that, but they are working hard to address these issues. It's all about dollars. It's all about money," said Caso.
And that's a problem because of the city's current budget problems.
"This year we didn't get more personnel. We use them for more paving, even for sidewalk work. That's going to slow us down some. We're going to get the work done, but it's going to slow us down," said Caso.
The DPW and water board fixed the water main break and poured fresh concrete over the spot. Crews will blacktop the area next week.
Caso said people can report potholes in Niagara Falls by calling the DPW at (716) 286-4840.