There were worries of a large Capitol Hill sinkhole opening up in the street but, fortunately, a sewer inspector, a tow truck driver, a gaggle of police, a patient driver, and some lime green marking dye were all it took to get things stabilized Friday on Broadway just north of Roy.

Seattle Fire was called to the scene in the 700 block of Broadway E just after 4 PM to a report of a sinkhole in the area. It turned out to be a relatively puny thing, about two feet by three feet. But that didn’t stop a car from getting a tire stuck in the small collapse. That set off a wet and rainy night of sorting out what to do and just how much danger the collapsing pavement might pose if the soppy situation worsened.

CHS arrived to find Seattle Police and city worker waiting with the car’s driver and a tow truck driver to remove the vehicle. First, however, the collapse needed to be assessed with marking dye for possible damage to the main sewer line in the area.

Satisfied with the evaluation, the inspector and the cops gave the go ahead to lift the car and let the driver get on his way. With the collapse now fully exposed, it was clear the sinkhole was less a sinkhole and more a collapse of a small area recently patched after trench work in front of new construction on the street. The marking dye, meanwhile, created an eerie glow seeping through buckled pavement. And the 700 block of Broadway E was safe, for now.