A catastrophic water main break in the Bronx left drivers trapped in their cars as water flooded the Cross Bronx Expressway Thursday—the latest emergency caused by the borough’s crumbling infrastructure.
Rescuers saved at least eight people from their vehicles as water levels rose on the highway shortly before 3:30 a.m., city authorities said. Nearby, on Jerome Avenue near East 175th Street, the water main break caused a 30-foot wide hole to open in the street, flooding the neighborhood and its roadways.
No serious injuries were reported, and the amount of property damage—destroyed cars, flooded businesses, ruined property—won’t be know for some time, local authorities said.
Kevin Deutsch is a Staff Writer for Bronx Justice News covering the criminal justice system, drugs, and DNA use by law enforcement. An award-winning journalist, Deutsch is the author of the true crime books "Pill City" and "The Triangle." He has worked on staff at the Daily News, Miami Herald, Newsday, The Palm Beach Post, and The Riverdale Press. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Forward, The Independent, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Post, among other publications. His numerous television appearances include spots on CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN's BookTV. He has also been featured in The New Yorker. A Bronx resident, Deutsch hosts the true crime podcast "A Dark Turn" on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
