At least half a dozen drivers curbed by small but mighty Edmonton pothole
CBC News | Posted: November 2, 2017 11:46 PM | Last Updated: November 3, 2017
'And lo and behold ... there was already a person sitting there pulling off their tire,' says pothole victim
At least six drivers are repairing their vehicles after riding over a pothole on 75th Street south of Wagner Road.
Luke Galbraith was heading northbound on Wednesday night when he came upon the small but mighty pothole.
"There was a loud bang and the car sank down quite a bit," said Galbraith. "I imagine the pothole was pretty deep."
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Galbraith pulled off into the next parking lot to survey his bent rim and arrange for a tow truck.
"And lo and behold ... there was already a person sitting there pulling off their tire," he said.
He was followed by yet another driver with a flat. Then Galbraith noticed two more vehicles in a nearby parking lot, their tires also flat.
They all exchanged phone numbers. Another driver called 311 and said he was told the city would send someone right away. He informed the other victims via text message at 10 p.m. and let them know how they could make a claim.
'Should have been addressed right away'
Galbraith said he called 311 the next morning and was told the pothole had already been reported the previous night. The pothole was repaired at 12:15 p.m. Thursday.
"It really should have been addressed right away," said Galbraith, pointing out that several vehicles were damaged in such a short period of time.
Initially, the city said the pothole wasn't reported until Thursday morning and a crew assessed and fixed the pothole within hours. Later in the day, a spokesperson confirmed it had been reported the previous night.
"The pothole was repaired as of 12:15 p.m. today, within a 24-hour timeframe from when the calls were received," according to the emailed statement.
The drivers will now have to submit a claim to the city for the costs of repairs and towing.
According to the city's website on pothole damage claims, "the city is liable only if it knew, or ought to have known, of the state of disrepair."