What to Know
- A livery driver is counting his blessings this Thanksgiving Day after a large sinkhole opened up in Maspeth, Queens -- ultimately swallowing his vehicle -- a vehicle that would otherwise have been occupied if he hadn't taken the day off from work, News 4 New York learned.
- Crews spent their holiday hoisting the SUV out of the crater and securing the hole.
- It is unclear what caused the sinkhole.
A livery driver is counting his blessings this Thanksgiving Day after a large sinkhole opened up in Maspeth, Queens -- ultimately swallowing his vehicle -- a vehicle that would otherwise have been occupied if he hadn't taken the day off from work, News 4 New York learned.
Taking his dog for a walk, Wanzdi Sherpa couldn’t believe his eyes at the scene right in front of his house as his brother's car was swallowed by the ground.
"I’m very shocked right, very shocked because this was right in front of my house," Sherpa said, adding he has never seen anything similar.
New York City Council Member Robert Holden, who said he was informed of the incident, posted pictures on social media of the astonishing scene where the front half of an SUV can be seen inside the massive sinkhole that opened up in a street, right near the curb.
Sherpa said all he could see was the back portion of the SUV sticking up from the massive hole.
Thupten Topjy, Sherpa's brother, is now worried his means of making a living is in jeapordy. However, Topjy says he is thankful because he typically begins his shift at the very time his ride was swallowed by the hole.
“I feel lucky today," he said.
The NYPD and FDNY responded to the scene for site safety, according to Holden, who also added that the sinkhole prompted street closures as the problem is remedied. The streets closed are 70th Street between 52nd Avenue and 53rd Avenue, as well as 52nd Drive between 69th St and 70th Street.
News
Utilities are on scene conducting an evaluation of their infrastructures. Crews spent their holiday hoisting the SUV out of the crater and securing the hole, as Topjy wonders what caused the pavement to give way.
It is unclear what caused the sinkhole.
