Driver recounts moment Jeep fell into sinkhole

SAVANNAH, Ga. —

A Colorado man says he is grateful to be safe after his car plunged into a sinkhole Saturday on Bee Road in Savannah, Georgia, where city officials say a water main leak caused the road to collapse.

Kenneth Flowe, who was visiting family in Savannah, said he was driving a rental Jeep slowly through what appeared to be shallow standing water when the pavement suddenly gave way.

“I was creeping along at three miles an hour, and then I went ‘boom,’” Flowe said. “My vehicle plunged downward. I braced myself for impact.”

Flowe said the water did not appear dangerous in the dark.

“I could see the bottom of the water, and it was about as deep as your pinky toe, not even ankle deep,” he said. “I really felt like I was safe.”

Flowe said after the sudden drop, he was unable to open the car door, so he climbed out through a window before first responders arrived.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said Tuesday that a water main leak initially created the sinkhole, and when the Jeep fell into the flooded area, it ruptured a second water main.

Johnson said city crews repaired both water mains in less than three hours, praising the city’s quick response.

While Flowe said he walked away with only minor injuries, he said the experience left him shaken and with questions about Savannah’s infrastructure.

“I think that Savannah is a great city, and great cities deserve great infrastructure,” he said. “If Savannah’s going to continue to grow… it’s going to have to take care of home base first.”

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Johnson defended the city’s response, while also acknowledging the need for continued investment in upgrades.

Johnson wrote in part, “These are hardly catastrophic failures, which would include widespread system collapse, prolonged outages and an inability to respond. In both recent instances, our crews responded quickly and decisively, repaired multiple water line leaks in less than three hours and worked to minimize the disruption to our residents. Does that mean we stop investing in and upgrading our infrastructure? Absolutely not. We must continue and we are.”

Savannah officials said Bee Road reopened Wednesday after repairs were completed.