Ventura County sinkhole cancels classes at local high school after swallowing a teacher’s vehicle
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Huge 10ft sinkhole swallows English teacher’s car outside California high school after road weakened due to heavy rain – Bulldozer also collapsed during recovery efforts
- A massive sinkhole outside a Southern California high school swallowed a van all Wednesday afternoon, prompting evacuations.
- The vehicle, owned by an English teacher at Santa Paula High School in Ventura County, was damaged after falling into the 10-foot-by-20-foot hole.
- No one was inside at the time of the incident and no injuries have been reported, but school was canceled Thursday “out of an abundance of caution.”
A massive sinkhole outside a Southern California high school swallowed a pickup truck all of Wednesday afternoon and then a bulldozer trying to remove the car.
The sump opened just after noon and the vehicle belonged to a Santa Paula High School English teacher who was not in the car at the time.
Students and teachers were fired Wednesday afternoon and classes were canceled Thursday “out of an abundance of caution,” district officials said.
Tasha Wisniewski, the teacher whose car fell into the 10-foot-by-20-foot sinkhole, said she “couldn’t believe it” when others told her what had happened.
The exact cause of the sinkhole is still under investigation at this time, but geologists have pinpointed heavy rainfall as a likely culprit.
A massive sinkhole outside a Southern California high school swallowed an SUV
The sinkhole opened just after noon and the vehicle belonged to a Santa Paula High School English teacher who was not in the car at the time.
Photos from the Ventura County Fire Department show the teacher’s vehicle upside down in the hole, located next to a sidewalk.
“It’s so weird and surreal, because it’s really not something you think is going to happen in this area,” Wisniewski told the VC star.
Wisniewski told the local outlet that she’s glad no one was hurt, but she’s still upset.
The English teacher said the car, a 2022 Toyota RAV4c, was purchased in November.
Emergency crews quickly arrived on the scene and evacuated students and staff.
TO The Santa Paula Unified School District spokesperson said the students were released around 1 p.m. and the district initially planned to reopen Thursday.
That plan was re-evaluated as local officials continued with risk assessments.
“Santa Paula Public Works continues to monitor the area and has called in an expert geologist to conduct a stability assessment,” officials said.
A decision on classes for Friday has yet to be announced, the district’s Julissa Vasquez said.
After the sinkhole opened, some staff members were told that their vehicle could not be recovered due to its proximity to the dangerous sinkhole.
As officials worked to get the car out of the hole, a bulldozer fell sideways into the hole.
Wisniewski’s vehicle was finally recovered Wednesday night.
“It’s so weird and surreal, because it’s not really something you think is going to happen in this area,” teacher Tasha Wisniewski told the VC Star regarding her car being swallowed.
This is the Ventura County Fire Department’s publication alerting residents to the sinkhole.
This is Santa Paula High School in Ventura County, California
Fortunately, no students, staff, or pedestrians were injured in the incident and no one was in “imminent danger.”
Authorities told local residents that their houses and buildings were out of the way of the hole.
It is currently unclear what the exact cause of the sinkhole is at this time, but geologists said KTLA it could have been caused by recent rain and weather in the area or a collapsed storm drain.
City water and street workers are working with geologists to determine the cause and the condition of the infrastructure in the area at this time.