Asphalt roller falls into Orem sinkhole

OREM — An asphalt roller fell into a sinkhole here Wednesday, damaging a sewage line and causing the evacuation of some nearby homes in case a gas line was damaged.

"Today, we had an asphalt roller sink into the street," said a spokesman for Clyde Companies. The machine was part of a road crew working near 1100 West and 1200 North in Orem just before 11:30 a.m.

"He drove over it and sank right into that," the spokesman said.

The asphalt roller driver was able to jump off as the heavy piece of machinery began to sink. He was not injured. It continued to drop further into the ground as emergency crews responded, eventually ending up about 15 feet below the road, he said.

"We don't know what the cause is yet," he said. "It may require a crane to get it out."

A sewage line was also damaged in the incident, and city officials were checking to make sure a gas line under the road wasn't damaged. Some homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution.

— Pat Reavy Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam