A U-Haul truck crashed into a fire hydrant in El Cajon overnight, shearing the hydrant and causing a sinkhole to form in the area.
According to officials, the truck was pulling into a USA Gas Station at West Main Street and El Cajon Boulevard at around 11:20 p.m. Monday when it sheared the hydrant. As water rushed out, parts of the street eroded, causing a sinkhole.
Initially, firefighters estimated the sinkhole measured at least 20 feet by 20 feet.
Officials with the Helix Water District were called to the scene. They were able to shut off the water about an hour later. Those crews then determined the sinkhole wasn’t quite as large as originally thought.
Still, crews remained in the area overnight repairing the damage caused to the street and laying down temporary pavement. A portion of the roadway was blocked off to traffic while crews worked.
“It doesn’t appear that below ground – other than the damage to the fire hydrant – that there’s any other damage underneath the asphalt,” Tony Vielguth, of the Helix Water District, explained. “The water came up underneath the road and then surfaced where the road was cracked.”
The Helix Water District said they expected to finish the repairs by 7 a.m. Tuesday and fully reopen access to the road.
