Woman barely escapes after a sinkhole opens up in her DRIVEWAY and swallows her car caused by a water main break

  • Mary Boone found her car being swallowed by a sinkhole outside her rented condo in Spring Hills, Florida, Thursday
  • She tried to rescue her car, but the driveway collapsed and she ended up in the six-foot-deep sinkhole 
  • Boone suffered an ankle injuries and scrapes climbing out of the chasm 
  • Collpase happened after water from a broken six-inch pipe washed away sandy soil

By Associated Press and Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A Florida woman had a close call early Thursday morning when a sinkhole opened up in the middle of her driveway and engulfed her car.  

Awakened by a loud bang at around 3.30am, Mary Boone, of Spring Hill, went to the restroom but discovered there was no running water in the faucet or the toilet.

She then looked outside and saw the driveway buckling under her car.

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Rude awakening: Mary Boone woke up in her Florida condo to find her car being swallowed by a sinkhole early Thursday morning 

Rude awakening: Mary Boone woke up in her Florida condo to find her car being swallowed by a sinkhole early Thursday morning 

Mind the gap: A water main break caused the woman's driveway on Barclay Avenue in Spring Hill to buckle, and eventually a hole opened up measuring six feet in depth

Mind the gap: A water main break caused the woman's driveway on Barclay Avenue in Spring Hill to buckle, and eventually a hole opened up measuring six feet in depth

Boone jumped in the driver's seat trying to save her car, but the driveway gave way and she ended up in the sinkhole
She scraped her left leg climbing out

Boone (left) jumped in the driver's seat trying to save her car, but the driveway gave way and she ended up in the sinkhole. She scraped her left leg (right) climbing out 

The hole stretches about 30 feet under Boone's home, which had to be evacuated

The hole stretches about 30 feet under Boone's home, which had to be evacuated

Boone says she ran out of her rented condominium on Barclay Avenue to move the car out of harm's way, but just as she jumped in the driver's seat, the driveway collapsed and the car fell nose-first into a 6-foot-deep  and 10- to 12-foot-wide chasm, reported Tampa Bay Times. 

She told local news outlets, including WFLA, that she managed to climb out, injuring her right ankle and scraping her left leg bloody in the process, but now the hole stretches about 30 feet under her home, which had to be evacuated.

Hernando County officials said in an email that water from a broken six-inch pipe washed away sandy soil.

The hole stretches about 30 feet under the woman's rented home, which had to be evacuated

The hole stretches about 30 feet under the woman's rented home, which had to be evacuated

Silver lining: A tow truck quickly pulled Boone's vehicle out of the sinkhole  

Silver lining: A tow truck quickly pulled Boone's vehicle out of the sinkhole  

Work crews and heavy machinery are seen working at the scene of Thursday's driveway collapse in Spring Hill

Work crews and heavy machinery are seen working at the scene of Thursday's driveway collapse in Spring Hill

Officials plan to fix the pipe, fill the hole, and determine any damage to the building.

As for Boone, a tow truck was called in and pulled her trapped vehicle from the hole about 15 minutes after the collapse. 

The woman and her next-door neighbor have been barred from entering their homes until inspectors determine the buildings are structurally sound and fit for occupation.   

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