Pittsburgh sinkhole bus passenger sues PWSA

The sole passenger on what has become known as the Downtown sinkhole bus filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority on Friday, alleging that the entity should have been aware of the potential danger there from previous flooding.

Michelle Goodlow, of Washington, is suing the authority for negligence. The complaint, filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, also names an unidentified private business, which would have owned a disconnected water line in the area, as a defendant.

The PWSA did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

According to the complaint, Goodlow boarded the Port Authority G31 Flyer, South Fayette to Bridgeville, at 6:35 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2019, and sat in the third row back on the driver’s side.

At 7:40 a.m., as the bus sat at a red traffic light at 10th Street and Penn Avenue, the large sinkhole opened up under it. A 60-foot piece of roadway fell in, taking the bus with it.

“As a result, the bus immediately fell backwards, engulfed in the sinkhole,” the lawsuit said. “The front of the bus, where Ms. Goodlow was sitting, then tipped at a 45-degree angle in the air.”

The “sudden backward thrusting movement” threw Goodlow’s body back, and the area inside the bus began to fill with running sewer water, the complaint said.

“Ms. Goodlow tried to hold on to bus fixtures as tight as she could, in order to keep from sliding down the bus aisle,” it continued.

According to the complaint, the bus driver was able to pry the doors open, and the driver and Goodlow jumped about 10 feet down to the ground.

Goodlow was taken to an area hospital with rib, back and chest pain, the lawsuit said.

She was diagnosed with a chest wall contusion and lower back strain and sent home with pain medication, it continued.

A month later, as the pain and discomfort continued, she was diagnosed with lumbar strain, neck strain and a concussion.

She also learned her dentures were fractured, and she has been diagnosed with severe migraines and anxiety, the complaint said.

Original reports from Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said that no one was hurt in the incident.

The lawsuit alleges that the sinkhole was caused by damage to a 48-inch storm sewer at the intersection that is owned by PWSA and because of a disconnected 6-inch private commercial water line there.

“On information and belief, defendant PWSA has been aware of problems with drainage of the aforementioned storm sewer since at least Sept. 24, 2016, when a clogged catch basin resulted in street flooding,” the complaint said.

The sinkhole bus quickly went viral and became a popular meme.

The bus, 6015C, was pulled out of the hole by a giant crane the night of the incident and returned to service six weeks later.

It took significantly longer — nearly a year — before the street was reopened.

The operation required 746 tons of backfill, 2,100 square feet of bricks, 400 tons of concrete and more than 1,100 hours.