‘Worst 10 minutes of my life.’ Woman survives car being swallowed by NJ sinkhole

Mike Stunson
·1 min read

A 72-inch water main break on Tuesday, Aug. 9, in ne, New Jersey, made Lizette Pagan’s morning commute to work rather challenging.

Not only did the excess water flood the roadway, but the break also caused a massive sinkhole as Pagan was driving. The sinkhole was triggered when soil was eroded from water flowing at 25,000 gallons per minute, NJ.com reported.

Pagan’s car fell through, and images show it nearly completely submerged.

“Today was the worst 10 minutes of my life,” Pagan said in a Facebook post. “Going to work this morning I fell in a sinkhole. I had to think fast to save myself. Water was coming in the car so fast.”

She swam to safety but said in an interview with KTVQ a day later that she is “still in shock.”

“I couldn’t go to sleep last night because I thought I was drowning,” she said. “So, I hope that fear goes away, you know?”

Images from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office show the vehicle was towed out of the sinkhole.

Belleville Mayor Michael Melham said on Wednesday, Aug. 10, the water main had “finally” been shut off after 24 hours. Water pressure was restored to normal on Thursday.

Belleville is about 5 miles north of Newark.

Spontaneous sinkhole sucks in two men at a company pool party, Israeli police say

Woman pulled through window seconds before sinkhole swallows car in Texas, video shows

Sinkhole swallows car on Arizona street as neighbors rush to rescue driver

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Pitch-In Week in Gananoque, TLTI

    With this week being Pitch-In Week, staff with the Town of Gananoque and Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands are planning their own Pitch-In events. The Gananoque event will happen on April 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. A Pitch-In event is a community-wide cleanup where residents and community groups get together to help clean the environment. Residents are invited to email pwinfo@gananoque.ca, or call 613-382-2149, ext. 1613, if they would like to get involved. Staff says that free pitch-in

  • Chelsea Carey to skip Jennifer Jones's former curling team

    WINNIPEG — Two-time Canadian champion Chelsey Carey will take over Jennifer Jones's curling team for the next two seasons. Both Carey and the Jones's team confirmed the move in a statement Wednesday posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. Six-time national and two-time world champion Jones retired from women's team curling this season after leading a young team to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts final the last two years. Winnipeg's Carey, 39, will take over skipping the squad of t

  • Gananoque Rotary holds Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup

    The Rotary Club of Gananoque did its part in cleaning up the environment on Saturday. This was as part of the club’s annual Rotary Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup program, where Rotary Clubs across Ontario and Upper New York State participate in this initiative in support of Earth Day. Coffee and doughnuts were made available for participants. There were 19 different areas along the river, streams, creeks and trails that were part of this Rotary Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup. Rotarians Pam Welbour

  • Blinken to meet businesses in Shanghai as he kicks off a tough China trip

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet business leaders in Shanghai on Thursday as ties between Washington and Beijing stabilise, pushing to resolve a raft of issues threatening the newly gained equilibrium between the rivals. Blinken's visit is the latest high-level contact between the two nations that, along with working groups on issues from global trade to military communication, have tempered the public acrimony that drove relations to historic lows early last year. But Washington and Beijing have made little headway on curbing China's supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl, the South China Sea remains a flashpoint, and strains are growing over China's backing of Russia in its war in Ukraine.

  • Amanda Nguyen and Kelley Robinson on How to Build Equality

    Civil rights activists Amanda Nguyen and Kelley Robinson said joy is crucial in the fight for an equal future at the TIME100 Summit

  • Newly signed bill includes potential TikTok ban

    President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday a $95 billion war aid measure that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and that also has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S.

  • KC Current fire head of medical staff for violating NWSL's non-fraternization policy

    The KC Current said head of medical staff Carlos Jimenez was fired immediately after he was found to have violated league rules.

  • Shocking Mass Graves At Gaza Hospitals Prompt International Calls For Investigation

    Palestinian medics have uncovered hundreds of bodies from mass graves in at least two major hospitals that were under siege by the Israeli military.

  • Non-profit helps college students succeed

    The Wesley House, a non-profit organization located near SDSU, helps students get access to resources and housing.

  • Nancy Pelosi calls for Netanyahu to resign as she slams his ‘terrible’ actions in Gaza

    Former speaker joined letter asking Biden to stop arms transfers after aid worker deaths but voted for recent military assistance package

  • Edmonton city council approves 8.9% property tax increase for 2024

    Edmonton property owners are being charged 8.9 per cent more in taxes this year after city council approved its revised operating budget Tuesday. The increase means on average, property owners pay about $766 for every $100,000 of their assessed property value, an increase of $66 compared to last tear, A home assessed at $428,500 will pay about $8.97 a day in municipal property taxes, the city said. The increase is more than the 6.6 per cent council approved last fall and slightly higher than the

  • Take a seat behind the wheel at Martin Auto Museum in Glendale

    From classic cars to sleek modern marvels, you can experience the magic of automotive nostalgia at Martin Auto Museum and Event Center in Glendale.

  • Immigrant encampment kept 'under the radar' will have to shut down

    An immigrant encampment in northeast Denver that has been operating under the radar for weeks is now being forced to move.

  • Supreme Court set to hear arguments over Trump immunity in Jan. 6 election interference case

    The conservative Supreme Court is poised to hear oral arguments on Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s explosive claim that former presidents have blanket immunity from criminal prosecution for acts taken while in office. The hearing marks a critical milestone as the nation waits to see if Trump will face accountability for the sprawling plot to overturn his loss in the 2020 election ...

  • Key Trump allies indicted over Arizona ‘fake electors’ as ex-president heads back to court: Live

    Former president’s historic ‘hush money’ election interference trial is underway in New York

  • Arizona House votes to repeal state's 1864 abortion ban statute

    The Arizona House has voted to repeal the state's abortion ban statute. Three Republicans joined with all House Democrats in voting yes Wednesday afternoon.

  • Groundbreaking on affordable housing complex in City Heights

    On Tuesday, San Diego City leaders broke ground in City Heights on a $98 million mixed-use complex and affordable housing.

  • 2024 Zurich Classic Report

    2024 Zurich Classic Report

  • Dolphin Found Shot Dead on La. Beach, Authorities Offer $20K Reward for Information Leading to Conviction

    The deceased dolphin was discovered on March 13 on Mae's Beach in Cameron Parish, La.

  • Nebraska's running backs expected to make full recovery come the fall season

    Nebraska football's running back room will look very different come the fall compared to the spring season.