BROOMFIELD, Colo. (KDVR) — A Broomfield mother and father are warning others about a dangerous situation on the roads after they came across a pothole on the interstate that ejected them from their motorcycle.
“I have road rash in a lot of places, I have a fractured wrist,” Amber Meehan said.
Cuts and bandages capture the physical damage, but the Meehans memories of Sunday night capture the trauma they are facing.
On their way home from a friend’s house, the parents of six said they left C-470 and suddenly came across a massive pothole they couldn’t avoid on the Interstate 70 ramp.
“There was this giant hole in the road, all I remember was this loud thud and everything went sideways and I was rolling,” Amber Meehan said.
“The ejection was bad enough, but running down the highway screaming my wife’s name freaking out that another car was going to come around the bend and that was going to be the end of her, that was the worst nightmare I’ve ever dealt with,” David Meehan said.
While the Meehans went to the hospital, a friend brought a tape measure out to capture what nearly killed them. Video shared with FOX31 Problem Solvers shows the man reading that the hole is 210 inches wide and five inches deep.
“He wears a size 11 shoe and his foot sinks into this that’s not okay that’s not just a crack in the highway,” David said, adding “This isn’t about my motorcycle, this isn’t about a car, this is about the fact I thought I was going to lose my wife.”
FOX31 Problem Solvers alerted the Colorado Department of Transportation about this hole. They sent a crew to patch it up this afternoon.
A spokesperson sent the following statement to FOX31:
“Due to heavy snowfalls in March and April with drastic changes in temperatures from freezing to very warm, combined with Colorado’s aging infrastructure and heavy traffic volumes, pavement weakens, causing potholes to develop very quickly. We have numerous potholes in the region and across the state as crews work aggressively to patch them.
For the next several weeks, drivers should be prepared for moving, single lane closures, along with possible delays, while potholes are being repaired. The Colorado Department of Transportation is urging motorists to slow down when approaching these work zones for the safety of everyone involved, especially crew members who are working to repair the pavement. While lane closures are generally limited to night-time hours, pothole repairs may occur during the day to prevent further deterioration and damage to the roadway.”
To report a pothole on state maintained road (interstates, U.S. and state highways), please call one of the following CDOT Customer Service Hotline Numbers:
Metropolitan Denver – Region One: (303) 759-2368
Southeastern Colorado – Region Two: (719) 562-5568
Northwestern Colorado – Region Three: (970) 243-2368
Northeastern Colorado – Region Four: (970) 350-2368
Southwestern Colorado – Region Five: (970) 385-1423
Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water under the pavement. When the water freezes, it fills more space under the pavement, which then expands, bends and cracks, weakening the road surface. When the ice melts, the pavement contracts, leaving gaps or voids underneath the surface. This continuous “freeze – thaw” cycle weakens the pavement and allows it to continue cracking. As the weight of vehicles pass over the weakened pavement, it causes it to break and creates a pothole.
