Houstonian stands almost waist-deep in Third Ward hole, grabs City of Houston leader's attention

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's a picture that may tell you all you need to know about a man's frustration over a hole.

Ed Pettitt got right in there and stood in the middle of it on Brailsfort Street near Tuam in Third Ward.

Houston City Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents District D, told Eyewitness News on Tuesday that the hazard was caused by a private contractor who incorrectly tried to connect wastewater lines.

Houston Public Works added the contractor didn't have the proper permits to work on the street.

Pettitt's photo quickly got the city's attention and crews filled it up with dirt, but it's far from a permanent fix.

"It's not repaired," Pettitt, a community activist, told ABC13. "And I'm afraid the dirt itself may not hold as cars drive over it. I would have imagined they would have put a metal plate there. Hopefully (on Wednesday), they'll have something more substantial covering it."

Pettitt and Evans-Shabazz said there have been repeated issues with different developers in Third Ward.

Evans-Shabazz said she plans to follow up with Houston Public Works to prevent incidents like this again.

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