CRISISBOOM

suntimes

At the corner of Elston and Foster in Chicago,Il

An SUV — and its driver — tumbled into a sinkhole and flipped upside down early Saturday on the Northwest Side.

The incident happened at about 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of Foster and Elston in Jefferson Park, officials said.

The driver was able to crawl out of the car and the sinkhole. He was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital, police said.

The hole was caused by a burst water pipe, city officials said.

“A water main broke and the water basically washed away the dirt that supports the street,” said city Department of Water Management spokesman Tom LaPorte. “We don’t know what caused the damage … but we’re working around the clock to fix it.”

The car, an Acura SUV, was removed from the hole, which is about 12 feet deep and 20 feet wide. The intersection will remain closed through Sunday.