Driver crashes into fire hydrant, causes flooding in Deerfield Beach

DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities have secured a flooded area in Deerfield Beach after a car struck a fire hydrant.

Broward Sheriff’s Office units responded to the area of Southwest 10th Street and 11th Way, just before 7:30 a.m., Tuesday.

Officials said the driver, identified as Menelas Robens, crashed into a fire hydrant, causing water to spill onto the road.

“Somebody going east on 10th that was T-boned by somebody turning here to 11th Way. It deflected her path, and she wound up in front of the hydrant,” said Chuck O’Keefe, who helped rescue the woman from the submerged vehicle.

BSO shared a photo on Twitter of a car submerged in water at the corner of the intersection.

“It probably scared the crap out of her, would be my best guess,” said O’Keefe.

Residents nearby should expect to have their water cut off as crews work to make repairs.

A precautionary boil water notice is in effect for residents and businesses along FAU Research Boulevard between Southwest 15th Street and 10th Street as well as the west side of Southwest Ninth Avenue to FAU Research Boulevard between Southwest 11th Court and Southwest 15th Street.

Residents are advised to boil all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice or washing dishes.

The notice will remain in effect until a bacteriological survey shows that the water is safe to drink.

The water released from the fire hydrant is said to have caused a sinkhole to form at the corner of the intersection.

Witnesses said the woman behind the wheel appeared to be OK.

“When she hit it, she snapped it off at our connection and essentially started blowing water. The erosion was so severe that she would have sank except that the water was actually holding her up,” said O’Keefe. “Eventually we started to abate the pressure and the car started sinking, as you see in the images, it was eventually almost immersed.”

7News cameras captured the car being pulled out of the sinkhole.

The vehicle has since been towed away from the scene while police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

“I didn’t really think that it was something like this that happened,” said witness Joe Johnson. “I thought it was just like a little accident.”

Robens also reportedly hit powerlines in the area, which may have caused some outages to residents in the area.

Traffic lights at the intersection were temporarily out following the incident.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area as Southwest 10th Street was temporarily shut down in both directions. The road has since be reopened.

Robens has been charged with failure to use due care.

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