(Posted 10:30 p.m., Sept. 4)
Hwy. 174 sinkhole swallows car during afternoon rush hour
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

A collapsed stormsewer is being blamed for creating a large sinkhole on the Hwy. 174 Jeanne d'Arc Blvd. off-ramp that swallowed a Hyundai Accent during the afternoon rush hour on Tuesday.

J.P. Unger, 48, of Orléans was approaching the eastbound off-ramp at around 5 p.m. when he noticed a large dark spot in the road that looked like fresh pavement. Before he could mentally process what was, in fact, a large hole, he drove into the opening front end first.

"I hear 'Bam! Bam! Bam!' like big loud noises and shaking, my immediate thought was ‘Oh my God, I hope I’m not getting killed and crushed here'," said Unger who was left shaken but relatively unscathed by the accident. "Given what I saw and what I went through, I’m just lucky to be alive."

Unger was helped out of the hole by two Good Samaritans who stopped to see if he was okay.

The incident brought the afternoon rush hour to a compete standstill. As of late Tuesday night, city work crews were still assessing what steps needed to be taken to remove the car, repair the sewer, fill the hole and replace the pavement. In all likelihood it could take several days.

Hwy. 174 eastbound remains closed from Blair Rd. to Jeanne d’Arc as crews continue to work.

A Hyundai Accent sits on end after falling into a sinkhole on the Hwy. 174 Jeanne d'Arc Blvd. off-ramp shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Fire Service

(This story was made possible thanks to their generous support of our local business partners.)

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