Kensington neighborhood fearful sinkhole will swallow their cars: 'The street is getting worse'

"A truck ran over this spot and then the ground sunk underneath the truck," recalled Randy Garcia who lives on Keim Street.

Annie McCormick Image
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Neighborhood fearful sinkhole will swallow their cars
"A truck ran over this spot and then the ground sunk underneath the truck," recalled Randy Garcia who lives on Keim Street.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A sinkhole in Philadelphia's Kensington section has one neighborhood block fearful their vehicles will be swallowed.

Neighbors say a city vehicle was nearly consumed by the blacktop in the 2400 block of Keim Street Monday morning. A crater is now left behind.

"It's been a long time it's been like this," said Randy Garcia told Action News in Spanish.

"And today, a truck ran over this spot and then the ground sunk underneath the truck," Garcia continued. "The situation on the street is getting worse."

Walter Stinette and his neighbors say the street has been a mess for more than a year.

"The street has always been messed up, rats everywhere. My basement (is) always flooded constantly because of the street," Stinette said.

Stinette took Action News into his basement; after the day's torrential rain, he says the broken street means more water will come into his house.

Neighbors say the road has been under repair for more than a year, and just six months ago the street was closed.

On Monday, a United States Postal Service truck was unable to move up and down the street, as well as regular traffic, including vehicles supplying city service like trash trucks.

"Trash everywhere, there's always trash because they can't come down the block," Stinette said.

The Philadelphia Streets Department said it is working on finding out more information about the issue.