Airbnb guests’ hire car sank into sinkhole on way to Adelaide Airport

Airbnb guests on their way to the airport from an Adelaide property had barely left the driveway when their hire car fell into a sinkhole.

The incident unfolded as they left the driveway of a Park St unit complex at Hyde Park and the road suddenly opened up beneath the rented Kia about 5.30am on Sunday.

A police spokesman said the front wheels of the car sunk deep into the sinkhole.

“Fortunately, there were no injuries to the two occupants of the car,” a spokesman said.

“The Metropolitan Fire Service (MF) and SES crews attended to assist and try to prevent neighbouring properties from flooding.”

The couple from Darwin, who did not want to be identified, told the Adelaide Advertiser they were about to leave for the airport when they found the driveway flooded.

“Unfortunately the sink hole was so wide that as soon as I attempted to leave that driveway, the two front tyres went down and then that was it. I was stuck,” she said.

“I attempted to go forward, I attempted to reverse, it was not moving. We got out immediately.

“The ground just kept collapsing. By the time SA Water got here and were able to take the car out, the bonnet was in it. (The car) could not be saved.”

“These neighbours … were very close to having their homes flooded.”

A SA Water spokesman said their crews completed pipe repairs to a burst water main at Park Street, Hyde Park on Sunday afternoon.

The spokesman said a technician arrived about 6.15am on Sunday to turn the water supply off to allow repairs to happen.

“Around 50 customers were temporarily without mains water while repairs were complete, with our Community Support team providing an interim supply of cask water to affected customers,” a spokesman said.

“One vehicle was safely removed from the site of the break, with our team seeking to provide any required support to the driver as needed.

“Our engineers will undertake further investigations to understand the condition of the affected section of pipe, to inform any future replacement plans.”