Some Pennsylvania drivers left stranded due to potholes; PennDOT tackling repairs

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- It was a rough morning commute for drivers in Montgomery County on Route 422. Drivers were dodging potholes; some were forced to abandon their cars with flat tires.

Devon Johnson, at Creamery Tire in Norriton Township, says they've had plenty of customers coming in with pothole problems.

"Today actually, we had somebody come with two holes blown into the sidewall of their tire and usually that's from hitting something like a pothole," Johnson said.

In Collegeville, cars were abandoned on the shoulder of the road, and PennDOT crews with heavy machinery were out repairing potholes Monday.

The bitter cold, snow, and ice recently had prevented crews from getting out until now.

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It's the season where the roads open up and give drivers headaches: pothole season.

"The last couple days have been over 40 degrees so they're able to use that hot mix and that's a permanent solution," said Robyn Briggs, PennDOT's District 6 community relations coordinator.

However, the repair work did not come soon enough for drivers like Avery Byrd of West Philadelphia. Byrd nailed a pothole on Route 422 near Swedesford Road on his way to work, leaving him with a blown-out tire and stranded on the side of the road.

"By the time I saw it, it was already too late. I was already inside of the pothole," Byrd said.

Because of our climate and weather, PennDOT says potholes are just something we have to deal with. But to alleviate the frustration, PennDOT encourages drivers to increase the following distance so you can monitor the road and see potholes before it's too late.

You can also report a pothole by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD or online at PennDOT.pa.gov

"Our crews are out there monitoring the highways too but we also want the public's help in this," said Briggs.

Additionally, drivers do have the option to file a claim against the state if they feel they have suffered significant damage to their vehicle as a result of hitting a pothole. Claims would be filed with the Commonwealth's Bureau of Finance and Risk Management, not PennDOT.

Johnson says by the time drivers make it to his shop, the shock of the event has worn off, but then it's the shock of what it might take to get things repaired that starts to settle in.

"We get the realization that they have to pay for something that they don't want to pay for," Johnson said.