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Shock as car found submerged in sinkhole

Alice CullinaneBBC West Midlands
News imageDebbie Stansfield Car in sinkholeDebbie Stansfield
The sinkhole gave way beneath a car on Monday morning

AT A GLANCE

  • A car was swallowed by a sinkhole after it opened up in Coventry
  • West Midlands Police said the hole was caused by a burst pipe on Sewall Highway
  • Agshaniya Ramesh said she could not look at her vehicle when she first heard the news.
  • Severn Trent has apologised for the damage caused by the pipe

A motorist has spoken of her shock after she found her car had become submerged in a sinkhole.

Agshaniya Ramesh from Coventry said she could not bring herself to look at her car, which she had parked in its usual place overnight, after she heard the news.

The student paramedic said she realised she was not going to get her car back after she saw the damage.

The hole opened up on Sewall Highway on Monday morning after a pipe burst.

News imageAgshaniya Ramesh Car in sinkholeAgshaniya Ramesh
Agshaniya Ramesh said her car had been "written off" due to the damage from the sinkhole

West Midlands Police said it was called out to the road just before 04:00 BST.

"Officers attended and closed the road so the car could be recovered and Severn Trent could work on the damage," a spokesman said.

Amy Jones from Severn Trent, apologised to anyone affected by the pipe burst, and said the pipe was one of the firm's larger ones.

The company's priority was to get access to the pipe and start repairs and so a full road closure would be in place.

News imageRichard Williams Barriers around the sinkholeRichard Williams
Barriers have been placed around the hole

After the car was towed away, barriers were placed around the hole to allow for repairs to take place.