SPRINGFIELD — Community members found a large sinkhole at a senior living facility in Clark County on Sunday night.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30, it was discovered on the north side of Springfield Manor, near an old mechanical building that is separate from where residents live.
Local authorities and the facility have blocked the area with a fence to prevent anyone from approaching the opening.
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Lucy Miller, a resident who lives in the homes behind Springfield Manor, discovered the sinkhole while driving her usual route on Sunday night.
“I always cut through there to get back to my house. And so it was like normal for the most part,” Miller said.
She initially thought the hole was a minor road issue.
“Wow, that’s a really big pothole, at least, that’s what I thought,” she said.
Miller noticed a strange light she had never seen before and realized the scale of the opening.
“I looked a little bit closer, and I was like, oh, okay, that is not a pothole,” she said.
Miller and her sisters stopped their car to take a photo and called 911.
She was very concerned for the elderly residents at the facility.
“Especially because it was so foggy and it was like it was really thick fog,” Miller said. “Being so many people over there, and, like, so many people taking shortcuts through there, it’s like it was just, it was kind of scary.”
Miller said she had a nightmare about being that close to a sinkhole.
“I’m scared to go over there,” she said. “If that could collapse, like any part of it could collapse.”
Springfield Manor officials provided a statement to News Center 7 on Monday.
“We are aware of a sinkhole that developed on our property overnight. We worked closely with our local gas company and vendor to ensure the safety of our residents, staff and surrounding community and we are happy to report that all repairs have been made, and we are back to providing normal service.
The safety and well-being of our residents and staff is our highest priority. There were no injuries, and resident care and operations at all times continued as normal," the statement read.
Officials told News Center 7’s Malik Patterson they believe the sinkhole formed because snow and ice weighed down the old bricks and asphalt, but they’re still looking into it.
There is no definitive timeline for when the hole will be repaired.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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