Truck swallowed by Pennsylvania sinkhole; homes evacuated
BETHLEHEM TWP., Pennsylvania -- Thirty people were evacuated from their homes in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania after a water main break caused a large sinkhole that swallowed a utility truck.
The incident started around 8:00 p.m. Thursday on the 1800 block of Hampton Road in Bethlehem Township.
Utility crews were initially called to scene for a water main break.
After they arrived, a huge hole opened up underneath a PPL utility vehicle.
The vehicle sank into the hole and came to rest on a 4-inch high-pressure natural gas line.
The line was not ruptured and there was no gas leak.
But authorities shut off gas and water service in the area as a precaution and evacuated all homes within a 300-foot radius.
The driver of the truck was able to get out safely and was not hurt. The truck was removed several hours later.
