Community members discovered a large sinkhole at a senior living facility in Clark County Sunday night.
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It is reported News Center 7 5:30it was discovered on the north side of Springfield Estates, near an old mechanical building separate from the residential area.
Local authorities and the facility fenced off the area to prevent anyone from approaching the opening.
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Lucy Miller, a resident who lives behind Springfield Manor, discovered the sinkhole while driving on her usual route Sunday night.
“I always take a shortcut back to my house from there. So that’s pretty much normal,” Miller said.
She initially thought the hole was just a minor road problem.
“Wow, that’s a big hole, at least that’s what I thought,” she said.
Miller noticed strange lights she had never seen before and realized the scale of the opening.
“I looked closer and I thought, oh, well, that’s not a pothole,” she said.
Miller and her sisters stopped their car to take photos and called 911.
She cares deeply about the elderly residents of the facility.
“Especially because it was so foggy, like a really thick fog,” Miller said. “There were so many people there and, like, a lot of people taking shortcuts through there, like it was just, kind of scary.”
Miller said she had a nightmare about being so close to the sinkhole.
“I was afraid to go there,” she said. “If it could collapse, just like any part of it could collapse.”
Springfield Manor officials provided a statement to NewsCenter 7 on Monday.
“We are aware that a sinkhole developed on our property overnight. We are working closely with the local gas company and suppliers to ensure the safety of residents, employees and the surrounding community. We are pleased to report that all repairs have been completed and we are back to normal service.
The safety and well-being of our residents and staff is our top priority. There were no injuries and resident care and surgeries have continued normally,” the statement read.
Officials told Channel 7 News’ Malik Patterson they believe the sinkhole formed when snow and ice pressed against old bricks and asphalt, but they’re still investigating.
There is currently no specific timetable for fixing the vulnerability.
News Center Channel 7 will continue to pay attention to this matter.
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