Driver who plunged into Gwinnett sinkhole arrested

By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Gwinnett County man who drove into a sinkhole created by last month's deluge of rain was arrested Friday for tampering with evidence.

Ira Strong told Gwinnett County Police on Sept. 21 that he believed West Liddell Road in Duluth was open because traffic barriers blocking the street had been pushed aside. But according to a witness, it was Strong who moved the barrels after he drove his car into the 6-foot deep hole.

Strong initially tried to drive around the blockade but was unsuccessful, the witness told police.

"The vehicle then drove back onto the road and continued on until it fell into the hole," according to the police report. The witness watched Strong climb out of the breach and move the barrels he had attempted to circumvent, "making a gap large enough for a vehicle to drive through," the report said.

Strong's car remained in the chasm for three days, during which time it was vandalized, he claims.  The county finally removed the vehicle when crews repaired the failed culvert under West Liddell Road, though Strong may end up having to make restitution.

Strong, who bonded out of the Gwinnett County Detention Center shortly after being arrested Friday, was also charged with failure to drive within a single lane, ignoring a roadblock and obstructing a police officer.