Sinkhole swallows car after unconscious driver hits a fire hydrant, MA photos show

A gaping sinkhole seemed to swallow a van whole after an unconscious driver collided with a fire hydrant, Massachusetts police told news outlets.

An 86-year-old man was driving in Attleboro on Jan. 17 when police said they believe he passed out behind the wheel, WLNE reported.

His van collided with a fire hydrant, unleashing a gush of water that flooded the street, according to the outlet.

As the street filled with water, a sinkhole opened up along the edge of the road, WJAR reported.

Photos shared by Area Photos Construction News by Sterry St. Towing on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed the back of the van sinking into the water.

The street was overflowing with water, but only the back tires of the van were below the surface, according to the photo.

Then, another photo, shared by Attleboro Blue Pride on Facebook, showed the street once the water had drained.

Almost half of the van had been sucked down into the dirt, and the front of the vehicle had lifted from the ground, the photo showed.

The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, WJAR reported.

The water was shut off and cleared, and the streets were salted and sanded to prevent ice build-up from flooding as temperatures drop into the night, according to the outlet.

Attleboro is about 15 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island.

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.