A Spectrum technician escaped injury after a sinkhole opened on a Los Angeles street and swallowed the company van whole.
The driver, a Spectrum employee working in the Los Feliz neighborhood Wednesday afternoon, was out of the vehicle when the pavement gave way beneath it, the cable company confirmed. The van sank slowly into the gaping hole at the intersection of Franklin and Normandie avenues, disappearing entirely as water continued to surge through the shattered street.
“We’re working with local officials and first responders, and we’ll support them however we can as they assess the situation,” a Spectrum spokesperson said LA.
The collapse followed a severe water main break that sent a torrent rushing down Normandie Avenue and tearing through the asphalt from below. The force of the gushing water hollowed out the roadbed, leaving the surface intact just long enough for the van to become trapped before the final collapse.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews rushed to shut off the main line while firefighters closed surrounding roads for a block in every direction. Utility workers scrambled against the flooding to isolate the break and prevent further damage to the busy intersection in the affluent hillside neighborhood.
Nearby homes appeared to remain safe in the immediate aftermath, and authorities reported no injuries connected to the flooding or sinkhole. The technician’s escape marked a narrow avoidance of what could have become a serious emergency had anyone remained inside the vehicle.
Spectrum did not specify how long the technician had been away from the van when the sinkhole opened, or what work was being performed in the area at the time.
The Franklin and Normandie intersection sits in a densely trafficked corridor of Los Feliz, a neighborhood known for its steep streets and historic homes beneath the Griffith Observatory. Water main failures in the area have previously caused significant street damage, though complete vehicle swallowings remain rare.
The van’s full submersion drew onlookers and prompted extensive social media documentation of the slow-motion disaster. Images showed the Spectrum vehicle tilted at increasing angles before finally disappearing below the waterline, with only churning brown water visible at the surface.
LADWP has not yet released an estimated timeline for repairs to the main line or the intersection itself. The surrounding road closures were expected to remain in place through ongoing assessment and initial repair work.
