Repairs Continue On Upper West Side Following Water Main Break

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Repairs are underway Tuesday on a ruptured water main on the Upper West Side.

The main burst Monday night at Amsterdam Avenue and 89th Street, sending water gushing into the street and sidewalk before a sinkhole opened up and swallowed a BMW sport utility vehicle.

A man named John who works on the block couldn't believe what he saw.

"It was like a river," he told 1010 WINS' Samantha Liebman. "You can clearly see the plants and everything is just moved out, that's how much pressure was just going down the whole street."

The white SUV drew a crowd of onlookers. Many were in disbelief of what they were seeing.

"I can't believe it," resident Lindsey Marx told CBS2's Raegan Medgie. "I feel so bad for the owner of the car."

"I'm just glad I didn't park on the street last night," resident Sarah Deblois said.

"It's crazy," resident Brian Ciccotelli said. "I love New York, all this crazy stuff happens. I live two blocks away and didn't even know"

It took hours for firefighters to help hoist the SUV out of the sinkhole and move it across the street. The owner and her daughter were seen looking at the vehicle and unloading some items, but declined to comment.

The woman's neighbor, Lee White, said his heart goes out to her.

"I feel bad for her," he said. "What a way to start your day."

Tuesday morning, some in the area were without water.

"It was on all night, it this happened last night. Why is the water off this morning?" said resident Gray Grayson.

Firefighters have been inspecting basements in the area. They say some are filled with five to six feet of water.

Con Edison crews are also on the scene, working to shut off a portion of a gas main they believe may have been damaged by the sinkhole, but said they don't think any customers will be impacted.