THORNTON, Colo. -- A large pothole that caused a traffic nightmare on westbound I-70 on Friday was fixed early Saturday morning.
But the nightmare hasn't ended for 75-year-old Charles Coulter.
Charles and his wife took a drive up I-70 on Friday morning in their candy apple red Cadillac. The sports car drove right over the huge pothole before crews closed the right lane to make a fix.
"It felt like we hit almost a concrete wall," Charles told Denver7 reporter Eric Lupher.
The impact was so strong it bent the rim of the front, passenger side wheel.
"The car didn't want to drive because the rim was bent so bad," said Coulter.
Coulter called his insurance company. He thinks CDOT should be responsible for covering his $500 deductible.
"CDOT knew about the pothole three days ago," Coulter claimed. "I know because courtesy patrol told us he had notified the supervisor at Clear Creek CDOT about the hole and how bad it was getting."
Coulter filed the proper claim paperwork with the state. He says he was told it would take six to eight weeks to find out if he would be compensated.
Amy Ford with CDOT responded, telling Denver7 that Coulter is doing everything he should by filing a claim but there's no guarantee he'll be compensated. She went on to say that potholes happen especially during the winter season because of the constant temperature swings.
Ford also says the section of the road where the pothole formed is getting scheduled rehab this spring and that the stretch of highway gets continued maintenance.
But to Coulter, his Cadillac is more than a car. He bought it in honor of his late father who couldn't afford it. Coulter is afraid his prized sports car won't be the same even after it's fixed.
"We worked our tails off and we saved our money and we bought this car."
