CHARLESTON, WV — A Kanawha County man experienced approximately 1.7 seconds of hope Tuesday morning after successfully swerving around a large pothole on a Charleston roadway, only to immediately strike a significantly larger pothole waiting on the other side.
Witnesses say 38-year-old Jason Miller spotted the first pothole roughly 30 feet ahead and executed what several motorists described as one of the finest evasive maneuvers ever attempted on a West Virginia road.
“He saw it early,” witness Dale Parsons said. “Checked his mirror, eased left, missed that sucker clean. I remember thinking, ‘This guy knows what he's doing.’”
Miller reportedly smiled after clearing the pothole.
That was his first mistake.
Approximately six feet later, Miller's 2016 Ford F-150 disappeared into what witnesses initially believed was a shadow covering the roadway.
It was not a shadow.
“It was another pothole,” Parsons said. “Much bigger one.”
The impact reportedly knocked a travel mug out of the cup holder, changed the radio station from 98.7 to 102.3 and caused Miller's check-engine light to illuminate despite authorities confirming the pothole struck nowhere near the engine.
Miller pulled onto the shoulder shortly afterward to inspect the damage.
“I've got a bent wheel, the steering wheel is crooked, and there's a noise coming from underneath that wasn't there this morning,” Miller said. “So, pretty standard Tuesday.”
Transportation officials arrived at the scene and measured the second pothole before determining it had become too large to qualify as a pothole.
“We're currently reviewing whether this should be classified as a small pond,” one official said.
Crews temporarily placed an orange traffic cone inside the hole but abandoned the effort after the cone disappeared completely from view.
Officials say repairs are being considered.
No timetable has been announced.
The first pothole remains in place.
When asked why he didn't simply drive around both holes, Miller stared at reporters for several seconds before pointing toward a third pothole in the opposite lane.
“Where?” he asked.
The Holler Herald — West Virginia's Least Reliable News Source
If it happens in the hills, we'll probably report it. If it didn't, give us about twenty minutes.
