Commuter Conditions

Russian Sinkhole Nearly Swallows Up Cars During Rush Hour Commute (VIDEO)

Rush hour always provides tricky challenges for drivers, but a Thursday morning commute in Russia gave a few unlucky motorists a really frightening experience.

The video at the top of this page is from Tyumen, Russia, according to the New York Daily News, and captures the moment the roadway begins to crack. During the morning commute, the driver of the small black car noticed the ground was beginning to give way and did everything he or she could to merge into a different lane.

But since it was rush hour, the other cars barely budged for more than a minute, even as the Earth was opening just feet away.

(MORE: There's Actually a Season for Sinkholes in Florida)

The driver deserves plenty of praise for realizing something was awry and quickly getting away before the asphalt was gobbled up. On the other hand, this is probably second nature for Russian drivers by now because they see some of the craziest stuff in the world on their roads.

News Flare says heavy recent rainfall was likely to blame for the sinkhole. If you're pressed for time and just want to see the action, the collapse of the roadway begins right at the 1:00 mark in the video.