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Emma Adu-Gyamfi says she hit a pothole July 6 on I-495 near Upper Marlboro cracking her windshield and triggering the check engine light.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — A woman in Prince George's County is looking for help after she says her car was damaged when she hit a massive pothole.
Emma Adu-Gyamfi has kept her car in the garage the past week and a half. Its last drive came July 6 on I-495 near Upper Marlboro.
“I just thought somebody hit me from the back," said Adu-Gyamfi. "I was on the highway, on my way home, and I just fell in deep. I was just shaking.”
Adu-Gyamfi said she hit a massive pothole near exit 13 on I-495 South that cracked her windshield and flipped her check engine light on.
"I’m one person that I will dodge a pothole because my tires are very expensive to replace so I shy away from potholes, but I did not see it coming," she said.
Adu-Gyamfi said she reported the pothole to Prince George’s County on July 8. They directed her to the Maryland Department of Transportation a week later.
MDOT says they fixed the pothole Wednesday, a day after receiving an email from Adu-Gyamfi's husband about it.
You can report a pothole on Maryland roads by visiting the State Highway Administration’s website.
“I’m not exactly sure how long the pothole was out there before they came to fix it, but I’m glad they were able to fix it to prevent somebody else from going through a similar thing or something fatal could happen," Adu-Gyamfi said.
She's now wondering if the state will pay for the damages to her car.
“I feel like I need my car fixed," Adu-Gyamfi said. "I shouldn’t have to come out of pocket to fix my car.”
According to the Maryland State Treasurer’s Office, the state isn’t strictly liable for damage caused by a pothole. Before a driver is potentially compensated, MDOT's insurance division will investigate if the State Highway Administration had prior actual or constructive notice of the roadway defect, and whether the State Highway Administration had sufficient opportunity after notice to make necessary repairs before the incident occurred.
Adu-Gyamfi said she was recently assigned an adjuster from the state.
“They’re going to do their investigation and see if the state is going to be at fault or not," she said.
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