Every year, it's the same old story. As snow and ice begin to melt off our roads, motorists find themselves weaving their way around potholes throughout the city.
With the abundance of snow Greater Sudbury has received this winter, snowbanks are impeding onto the roadways - leaving little to no room for motorists to dodge the 'craters'. The only thing you can do is slow down and brace yourself for the impact.
Teija MacPherson said there was no way she could have avoided a large pothole on Paris Street at around 7 p.m. on March 1 and her car received significant damage as a result.
"I came across a nice one in the dark while beside another vehicle, which I couldn’t dodge," MacPherson said. "It blew both passenger side tires, wheels are damaged, exhaust is damaged, front end is crunching."
After popping both tires on the passenger side, MacPherson pulled into the Plaza 69 parking lot to assess the damage. That's when she witnessed three other vehicles fall victim to the same pothole — all within a few minutes of each other — that had formed around a manhole and was about six inches deep. Watch the video below.
"Three other cars blew tires while I was standing there...they all wound up in the Plaza 69 parking lot with their spares out."
Concerned for the safety of other drivers, MacPherson called the city's 311 line and the non-emergency line at the Greater Sudbury Police Service, and the pothole was filled within a few hours.
MacPherson submitted a claim to the city and was told it could take up to eight weeks to get a reply.
MacPherson said the full extent of the damages is still unknown and her car, which was in immaculate shape before the incident, remains parked at home because she can't afford the repairs at this time.
"My car is my like my first born. It's my hobby," MacPherson said. "I'm devastated."
If your vehicle was damaged as a result of a pothole, you can file a Notice of Claim with the City. Click here to find out how.
It is important to report potholes to the city. You can do this by phoning 311 with the following information:
- Street name
- Nearest address
- Which lane the pothole is in
Warn motorists of problematic potholes by helping Sudbury.com populate its City of "Crater" Sudbury pothole map. If you see a nasty pothole, snap a photo and send it to us along with the location.
Know the location but don't have a photo? We still want to add the pothole to our map! Check out the map here.
Add your pothole photos and the location in the comment section on our Facebook page or email [email protected].
