Toledo Ohio Sinkhole Accident [VIDEO]: Woman Unharmed, Can Sinkholes be Prevented?

Today in Toledo, Ohio, a sinkhole opened on a road that swallowed a driver.  The Toledo Sinkhole opened up as driver Pamela Knox drove down the road but she was unable to avoid it.  The driver was uninjured and escaped the Toledo sinkhole with a ladder.

The Toledo Ohio Sinkhole was 10 feet deep.  Officials used a crane to remove the car.

Other sinkholes present safety concerns, including a Florida sinkhole death. 

International sinkholes also occur: a Guatemala sinkhole was 60 feet deep and killed 15 people.

Watch another Ohio highway sinkhole:

Human activity can contribute to sinkholes.  Sinkhole causes include changes in drainage due to construction or agricultural irrigation.  Well drilling is also a concern.  Sinkholes can't be completely prevented as heavy rains also cause sinkholes.

"Humans can [destabilize karst landscapes] by drawing down water tables or irrigate too much, increasing the weight of the mass of materials that sits on top of the void," Jonathan Martin, a geologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, told the Christian Science Monitor. "Humans can modify the environment" enough to cause sinkholes.

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