Sinkhole swallows police SUV in Sheridan, Colardo

© KUSA-TV, Denver
A police SUV was swallowed by a sinkhole Friday, June 5, 2015, in Sheridan, Colo. The police sergeant in the SUV was able to climb out of the SUV and the sinkhole.

    

A police sergeant on patrol in his department SUV was swallowed by a massive sinkhole here, Sheridan Police said.

Sgt. Greg Miller was traveling eastbound on West Oxford Avenue south of Denver early Friday morning when the road gave way.

"Next thing I know ... dirt — I'm assuming dust from the airbag — was floating around and everything," said Miller. "I hear the rushing water, and all I see is a dirt wall in front of me."

The car ended up 10 to 15 feet below the road surface.

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Miller had to crawl out onto the roof of the SUV to crawl out of the sinkhole.

"The door wouldn't open, so I had to crawl through the window," Miller said. "I reached up, grabbed the rails at the top of the roof, pulled myself up, got on top of the car, and that's when I reached up and pulled myself up out of the hole."

Miller was taken to Swedish Medical Center to be checked out but was released. The police car is a total loss.

"I'd rather it be me than somebody — a citizen — driving down the road or kids in the car," Miller said. "Or, you've got two vehicles, and the other vehicle is on top of the other vehicle, and you've got even more injuries ... you've got people trapped. I mean, I'm glad it was me than anybody else."

The sinkhole exposed a gas line, but police said there was no break in the line. The utility plans to inspect the line and cut off the gas.