Saskatoon intersection flood began with fire hydrant crash, city says

A crash involving a fire hydrant was responsible for a chaotic scene on Tuesday that left an intersection overflowing with water and an SUV sitting in a sinkhole.

A fire hydrant near the intersection of Millar Avenue and 60th Street was "sheared off," according to interim director of Saskatoon water Pam Hamoline.

The gush of water flooded the intersection and undermined the roadway and water pipes, according to Hamoline.

"Once we can excavate the road surface and get down to the pipe, we will know more about whether the water main was also damaged from the collision," she said in a news release.

The break and flood happened just after 2 p.m. and left the nearby Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre without water. Several businesses in the area were affected as well.

While the city said water service was restored by 8 p.m., the affected locations remained under a drinking water advisory Wednesday morning.

Video shared on social media appeared to show "several vehicles" driving through the flooded intersection, the city said.

One vehicle, an SUV, tumbled into a hole that formed during the flooding.

“We can’t stress enough that when people see a roadway flooded out, they should not drive through,” Hamoline said.

“There may be, and quite often there are, hazards and unsafe conditions they cannot see – as was the case with this incident.

Another vehicle, a large commercial truck, ended up in the hole Wednesday morning.

Hamoline urged drivers to heed the barriers set up by city workers.

"Barriers are there to keep everyone safe — residents and workers — to avoid injuries, further costly damage to property and city infrastructure," she said.

The intersection remained closed Wednesday as the city worked to repair the damage.