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Police ticketing drivers speeding, trespassing, ignoring posted signs near sinkhole

NORTH LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — A sinkhole in Lebanon County is causing a traffic nightmare and keeping cops in the area busy. PennDOT c...

NORTH LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. -- A sinkhole in Lebanon County is causing a traffic nightmare and keeping cops in the area busy.

PennDOT crews say the sinkhole on U.S. 422 formed after Sunday's heavy rain.

The problem? Police say the drivers aren't happy about the road being closed.

They're running down the barrels and making their own routes using business parking lots in the area.

Then, you have the people who turn down side streets, speed, and cause more trouble.

"I don't know if you can really put it into words at the moment," Dominic Macmillan, who works on Maple Street. "A lot of horns. A lot of very vulgar language."

Impatient drivers line Maple Street in North Londonderry Township.

"It's definitely dangerous for a residential area with a lot of kids," added Macmillian

"When you follow your GPS, it's going to take you shortest route, and tractor trailers are ending up in residential areas and causing a real mess," explained Chief Kevin Snyder of North Londonderry Township Police.

It's all keepingpolice officers quite busy.

"We did have our first crash this morning on Maple Street and Apple Blossom, so our crash rate is going to go up because of it," stated Snyder.

Some drivers are even taking the law into their own hands.

"They're coming up, going around barrels, running barrels over. They're just going around everything, and it's unsafe conditions," said Scott Travis of PennDOT.

We saw police ticket two people in under an hour.

"He is probably sitting right up the hill, waiting for another to happen; it'll happen soon too," added Macmillan.

Right now, Penndot officials say there is no definite timeframe on when 422 will reopen; there are still too many unknowns at this point.

"We could put a bandaid on it; it could open back up. That's the nature of a sinkhole," added Travis.

Drivers can and have been ticketed all day for breaking the law.

PennDOT officials say they will have a better idea when 422 will reopen in the coming days.

We're told it could either be a quick fix or take an extended period of time.

If it's the latter, township officials say there will be weight restrictions put in place on side roads.

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