COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — It’s one thing for a driver to hit a pothole. It’s another when a pothole hits a driver.
That’s what happened to Dylan Schonberg on westbound I-275 near Colerain on Tuesday. In the left lane, pieces of concrete started flying at his windshield.
"You can't just maneuver out of the way," Schonberg said. "There's cars everywhere. So I kind of just had to take it and hope for the best."
Look at some of the damage the car sustained from the falling pothole:
The contractor’s RAM truck sustained a shattered windshield, damaged hood and dented antenna. Remarkably, it’s still drivable.
"If it didn't hit (the corner of the car), it would have for sure went through the windshield," Schonberg said. "It was best case scenario."
Schonberg is now working with his insurance to address the damage, and ODOT said it has received two other claims regarding damage from Monday’s falling debris.
ODOT spokesperson Kathleen Fuller described the situation as "a pothole beyond potholes."
"Over time, the weight of traffic and the speed of traffic, it just causes the concrete to start cracking out," Fuller said.
Colerain police shared images showing daylight visible through the Colerain Avenue overpass, where concrete had fallen onto the highway below.
Fuller said that partial pavement depth repairs were made to the overpass within the past two years, and while that fixed the issue for a period of time, drivers said potholes have been an ongoing issue.
Mark Andrews, who regularly commutes in the area, wasn't surprised by the news.
"When I heard it on the news last night, I knew the exact spot they were talking about," Andrews said. “I drive past there every day, like 50 times, and I know how to get over to not hit the pothole.”
ODOT contractors will begin repairs on the bridge Tuesday night. Get the full list of lane closures and restrictions here.
