A large sinkhole injured a Pleasant Grove resident and disrupted the neighborhood, highlighting ongoing infrastructure issues.
A large sinkhole injured a Pleasant Grove resident and disrupted the neighborhood, highlighting ongoing infrastructure issues.
A large sinkhole injured a Pleasant Grove resident and disrupted the neighborhood, highlighting ongoing infrastructure issues.
DALLAS — A large sinkhole in the middle of the street was not the attention residents wanted; however, it was the attention many in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood said was needed.
“This whole street is about to cave in,” said a worker as he checked the hole on the 1800 block of Riverway Drive in the southeast neighborhood of Dallas.
“My truck started jerking and going on. I said, ‘How many people are hitting me?’” said Kiam Johnson, a Pleasant Grove resident.
He spoke with WFAA while getting treatment at the hospital.
Johnson said he was on his way to work Monday morning when he realized he left something at home. After turning around to drive back, he said the street started to cave in suddenly.
“The street was supposed to be perfect there, and it just came coming down,” Johnson said. “I tried to brace myself because I hit the windshield over four times.”
His neighbor, Lola Caldwell, checked on Johnson and called the police.
“It was like two 18-wheelers colliding. It was so hard. You know, just ‘boom,’” said Caldwell as she described the sound. “I wouldn’t have never thought it would cause that much devastation.”
Near the sinkhole, sewer water pouring through could be heard and smelled. Residents said they’ve dealt with this problem multiple times.
“Our sewer lines are bad,” said Terrance Perkins, another resident.
Perkins not only lives in the neighborhood but also owns several properties.
“It’s happened a couple weeks ago in front of one of my properties,” Perkins said.
He said during heavy rain or any time the White Rock Lake dam opens, it floods in their neighborhood. The Lake June dam that sits behind residents’ homes is broken as well, he said.
“The city won’t do anything about the drainage from your property going into the lake, so we catch all the debris, all the water and the erosion issue that is under the street,” said Perkins.
Dallas Water Utilities confirmed that a 27-inch wastewater mainline failed. It is expected to be repaired by Thursday, April 10.
WFAA also reached out to City Council member Jaime Resendez who represents that district. He sent the following statement:
“My office has been made aware of the sinkhole that opened up this morning on Riverway Dr., and my thoughts are with the individual who was injured. I’ve been in contact with city staff to ensure that the site is secured and that an investigation is conducted to determine the cause. I understand and share the concerns of residents. Ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods is a top priority, and I will be working closely with city departments to assess the condition of surrounding infrastructure and explore both immediate and long-term solutions.”
Many residents said they’ve heard this before and haven’t seen much change.
“We pay taxes and then nothing gets done until something happens,” Caldwell said. “So no, it’s not fair now or never because that could have ended tragically, and then what? It’s going to cost them, but I’m just glad that it didn’t cost somebody their life.”
“I never did have any faith in patchwork, but I didn’t think it would be to this, this degree,” Johnson said.
It’s a degree that gets residents heated, demanding attention and help.
“I’m never going back down that street,” Johnson said. “I thank God that I wasn’t in the hole.”