It may not be the biggest sinkhole in the world.
But it’s possibly the only one with a name. At least a name conceived by the California Highway Patrol.
The CHP Oakland division named a sinkhole along Highway 13 “Steve” on Monday morning. “Please be careful as you pass Steve on southbound 13 in Oakland,” the CHP tweeted.
Later in the day, CHP tweeted out a video of crews filling up Steve with cement, thus marking its end. "No!!!!!!! Look what they are doing to Steve! #SteveTheSinkhole," they tweeted around 4:30 p.m.
And then for Steve's creation story: “Steve was born this morning at about 5:20 a.m. on southbound SR-13 just north of Broadway Terrace," the CHP wrote on Facebook. "Steve is approximately 5 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep.”
As far as the CHP Oakland knows, it could be the first time a sinkhole has ever been named. (Though, no agency is known to really track the naming of sinkholes.)
As for why Steve?
Local
The CHP tweeted: "Why not?"
Introducing Steve, the sinkhole. Please be careful as you pass Steve on southbound 13 in #Oakland. https://t.co/90P99J6T0C pic.twitter.com/Js9crVIe76 — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
@ljfernandez Because why not! — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
@ljfernandez @nbcbayarea We're not aware of any other times. Maybe Steve is the first! — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 23, 2017
No!!!!!!! Look what they are doing to Steve! #SteveTheSinkhole pic.twitter.com/orXMogs0y7 — CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) January 24, 2017