Drivers land in huge sinkhole after ignoring signs for closed road

KTVU Staff

Some drivers in Tracy have crashed into a gaping sinkhole after apparently evading multiple signs and barriers warning that the important thoroughfare is closed. 

Photos posted by the California Highway Patrol show two vehicles trapped in a deep pit on Kasson Road that opened up after powerful storms lashed the area early in January. Other pictures show a combination of signs and barricades had been erected across the road to stop drivers from approaching the sinkhole.

Still, a pickup truck and sedan recently fell into the hole on separate occasions, the highway patrol said.

"It takes a significant amount of effort to get around the barriers," said Officer Jesse Skinner.

Kasson Road is often used by commuters traveling between Stockton, Manteca, and Modesto who try to avoid the increasingly clogged freeways.

San Joaquin County's public works department is in charge of the project to repair the roadway. It's unclear when the road will reopen.

Police in Alameda County have taken an aggressive approach against drivers who disregard road closure signs on Crow Canyon Road between Castro Valley and San Ramon. More than 300 citations have been issued for motorists who allegedly flouted the closure this month, the CHP said.