A mother and son injured when a giant sinkhole swallowed their car in Kane County earlier this week are speaking out about their ordeal.
Juanita Pineda and her 15-year-old son, Benjamin Hernandez, were trapped when their Ford Taurus fell into the 10-foot wide sinkhole at about 3:50 a.m. Tuesday at Thomas and McDonald roads. The car was completely below ground level when it landed.
"I wish it didn't happen to none of us," Hernandez said from his hospital bed. He suffered spinal injuries, a broken nose, jaw and ribs in the accident.
Hernandez was trapped in the back seat where he was preparing newspapers for delivery.
While the mother and son were trapped inside the car, the driver of a Chevy pickup truck that didn't see them, ran over the car.
"We were very lucky that that person who flew over us, that he flew over, not on top of us," Pineda said.
Hernandez say she blacked out during the accident.
"All I remember is packing and then listening to my mom screaming for me to wake up," Hernandez said.
"All I remember him telling me is, 'Mom, I'm going to hold on for you, mom I'm going to hold on.' I said, 'Benjamin, please don't leave me, I'm here for you, I'm going to be strong for you,'" Pineda said.
Hernandez is expect to be hospitalized for another week.
Officials blame the sinkhole on Monday night's severe storms.
Below photos courtesy Radioman911.com:
