PETERSBURG, Va. — A Chesterfield woman is seeking answers after she said her car was totaled when she hit a manhole cover on East Fillmore Street Sunday evening.
Katherine Plummer told CBS 6 she was driving her new-to-her 2000 Honda Accord when the incident occurred.
"I'm just driving, next thing I know, airbags—both airbags. I thought someone hit me. I didn't understand what was happening," Plummer said. "I thought [the car] was on fire. So I put it in park, turned the keys off, and got out to look at it. And then I called my dad."
The impact deployed both airbags and caused transmission fluid to leak, resulting in what Plummer describes as a total loss of her vehicle.
She believes the City of Petersburg should be held responsible.
Neighbors Say Problem Is Well-Known
Residents along East Fillmore Street say this isn't the first time the problematic road condition has damaged vehicles.
Rowland Parsons, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades and regularly walks the street collecting debris, said the rough road "seems to catch drivers by surprise."
"I find trash to put in my bucket all the time from pieces that break off when they hit it too hard," Parsons said.
Another resident, Michael Squires, wasn't surprised by Plummer's experience, noting a similar incident occurred around the same time last year.
"This has been an ongoing issue," Squires said. "Last year, around this time, someone was driving a BMW, and they drove right across here, and it pretty much destroyed their entire oil and transmission, and they ended up crashing into the telephone pole."
City Response
When contacted about the incident, a City of Petersburg spokesperson said they understand police are aware of what happened and that the city is looking into Plummer's claim.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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