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The truck became stuck around 8 a.m. with its nose tilted down
into the sinkhole and its rear wheels lifting several inches off
the ground. The sinkhole is more than 10 feet (3 meters) deep
and a number of utility lines were exposed when the hole formed
at an alley entrance, firefighters said.
City Engineer Austin Rowser told the KETV television station
that officials had been concerned about the alley and put up a
barricade to keep vehicles from driving down it. Rowser said the
driver of the Waste Management trash truck moved the barricade
to drive through the alley.
Waste Management of Nebraska disputed that the driver moved a
barrier. The company said in a statement that the driver saw
caution signs on the sidewalk as he crossed 16th Street but no
barriers blocked his route into the alley, so he drove into it.
Waste Management said its internal investigation supports the
driver's observations, and that it is cooperating with the
city's investigation.
The Omaha Public Power District and Metropolitan Utilities
District utilities shut off electricity and gas service to the
surrounding area while the situation was investigated.
The Omaha Fire Department said the garbage truck was removed by
early afternoon and power was restored. Natural gas service was
restored to the area Thursday evening.
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