The intense heat wave hitting North America has hit Missouri especially hard after two roads in Cape Girardeau buckled, per USA Today. A bystander caught the moment on video when a vehicle went airborne as it drove over the cracked road.
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Car Goes Airborne After Road Splits Open Due To Extreme Heat in Missouri
Albert Blackwell recorded the video on Sunday, June 22. A section of Siemers Drive suddenly snapped due to the extreme heat. It caused a small ramp to form, but it was too late for the driver of the grey Toyota to hit the brakes.
The car went flying over the buckled road, the car’s front rim hitting the road hard on the way down. Blackwell told Storyful how he caught the perfect moment on camera.
“When I went back to get a front angle of cars going over the smaller buckle, the road exploded and rose over 18 inches, sending a car airborne,” he told Storyful.
In response to the road buckle, the City of Cape Girardeau made a statement on Facebook. “Both Broadway and Siemers buckled in this heat wave,” it wrote. “Thank you to the crews for managing traffic and the temporary fix on Seimers. We will return to temporary street patches to complete a full repair.”
The city warned residents that as the heat wave continues, more street buckling may occur. “Please drive carefully and be mindful of city workers who will be out repairing streets. Stay safe out there!”
This type of infrastructure damage can happen in such extreme heat. According to the Daily Mail, officials warned residents of heat index values reaching 100 degrees and more. They expect these devastatingly hot temperatures to continue through Tuesday.
After the road split open, police secured the area and temporarily closed it. Luckily, the city’s Public Works Department swiftly cleared the damaged concrete. They replaced the cracked road with fresh asphalt, and the road should soon be operable again.
Despite the potential damage to the Toyota, the split road didn’t injure anybody. A Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesperson confirmed this with USA Today on June 23.
“In reference to safe driving and roadway buckling due to heat, drivers should be wearing a seat belt and if a driver notices anything unusual with the roadway, please contact local law enforcement as soon as possible,” they said.