Public works truck engulfed by massive hole in Massachusetts: 'It's amazing how it happened'

BROCKTON, Mass. -- A city truck fell into a massive hole on Tuesday, May 12 in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Officials with the city's department of public works were doing work in the area when the roof of the culvert -- which allows a river to run underneath the parking lot -- collapsed.

A giant hole then opened up on the parking lot's surface, causing one of the department's trucks to sink into the ground. The whole was about 15 feet deep and 20-by-20 feet wide.

The driver of the truck was able to escape unhurt before firefighters arrived.

"It's amazing how it happened. It just let go and 'bang.'" said Larry Rowley, commissioner of the department of public works. "Of course, that culvert is...it was an old river that they boxed in. So the water is running.

"We were doing some sewer work on the side of the culvert and they backed over to fill in the trench and then the roof of the culvert let go, truck went in the hole."

The department of public works secured the area around the hole, but said repairs could take a few months.

Dump truck falls into massive whole in Brockton, Massachusetts. (Courtesy: Brockton Department of Public Works via WFXT via FOX News)