Woman: City avoiding manhole claim

Sherry Lassiter

Sherry Lassiter of Austin, Texas, was visiting Charleston last week to drop her daughter off at the College of Charleston when her car (at right) was damaged by driving over an open manhole on Calhoun Street.

Sherry Lassiter

Charleston is known for capturing visitors, but a Texas woman recently encountered a new kind of tourist trap.

Sherry Lassiter of Austin was driving downtown when a manhole that was missing its cover nearly swallowed her car's tire. She spent the rest of her vacation getting her car fixed and navigating the city's claims process.

She said the city's insurer is giving her the runaround and she wonders if she'll ever get reimbursed for the $200 she spent getting her car's tire replaced and steering realigned.

Lassiter was in town to drop off her 21-year-old daughter for the fall semester at the College of Charleston. She was driving west on Calhoun Street near St. Philip Street on Aug. 17 when she noticed the car ahead of her wobble and quickly pull to the side of the road.

Suddenly, her own car plunged downward.

"Before I could even react, I felt this tug and all of a sudden it jerked the car and we came to an immediate stop," Lassiter said. "I'd never heard of something like that happening. I was pretty mad."

A Charleston police report confirms that Lassiter's 1999 Buick Regal and the car that was in front of her both suffered damage from the manhole.

The officer's report also notes that the manhole cover had been lifted out of position by heavy rain and flooding.

The Department of Public Service director, Laura Cabiness, said a combination of storm water and high tide can generate enough water pressure to lift a 200-pound manhole cover off its frame.

"The pressure builds up and can counteract the weight of the cover," she said. "Water is a pretty powerful force."

But Cabiness said that usually only happens in certain areas, such as near the South Carolina Aquarium. She's never heard of it happening in the area where Lassiter's accident occurred.

Lassiter doesn't remember it raining a tremendous amount Aug. 17. According to the National Weather Service in Charleston, downtown got less than an inch of rain that day.

Lassiter, a former emergency medical technician, said she views the hazard from a public safety standpoint. "There are millions of people who come to your city for vacation. They need to make sure it's safe," she said.

Cabiness said the city is looking at installing grated manhole covers to release pressure in areas where standard covers have washed out of place.

As for Lassiter's claim that she got the runaround, City Attorney Janie Borden said she is surprised to hear that.

In fact, Borden said the city expedited the claim and had an adjuster in town to investigate it the day after the accident.

"I did empathize with her because I knew she was from out of town," Borden said.

But the investigation process takes time, she said. For one, the city's insurer, the South Carolina Insurance Reserve Fund, and its claims adjuster must determine who owns the manhole. The city, AT&T and Charleston Water System all own manholes in that area, Borden said. The investigator also must determine whether the city knew the manhole was uncovered before the accident.

Lassiter said she budgeted down to the penny for her trip and that the accident and repair hassles marred her vacation. She doesn't think it was unreasonable to expect the city to reimburse her before she drove home to Texas a week later.

"I wanted it to be a vacation. This ruined my trip," she said.

Reach Ron Menchaca at rmenchaca@postandcourier.com or 937-5724.