Sidewalk Eats Woman

Do you ever have the feeling that the world is about to swallow you up?

That's exactly what happened to Philippa Kaye of Greenpoint last week. Minding her own business on the way home from the New York City Marathon on November 7, Kaye came across a massive hole in the sidewalk at Flatbush and Fifth avenues. And it swallowed her whole!

The whole was about 3 ½ feet deep; just large enough to envelope Kaye up to her waist in the pavement.

There was no cover or signage to warn passers-by of the impending danger. Once Kaye had been eaten alive by the earth, the Department of Environmental Protection stepped in. Inspectors found a collapsed back plate in the catch basin, causing the gash in the ground.

A repair team has begun work to eradicate the danger. Residents say the hole has been there for about a month without any work until Kaye's accident brought some attention.

Source - The Brooklyn Paper, "The sidewalk that swallows women whole!"