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A rash of sinkholes breaks out after Frances

ARCHER - Dozens of sinkholes have opened in north central Florida after three days of heavy rain from Hurricane Frances, including one that swallowed a Chrysler LeBaron as a man parked at a grocery store.

Lawrence Means, 43, had stopped for a cup of coffee and a couple of biscuits Tuesday when he felt the earth move beneath him. A sinkhole opened under his car and nearly swallowed the vehicle, which was left with only its trunk above ground.

"I felt something drop and I tried to back up but it didn't work," Means said. "I almost panicked but something just told me to get out."

More than two dozen sinkholes were found in Levy County, including 12 in Chiefland. Others were found in Gilchrist and Alachua counties.

A 60-foot section along State Road 26 near Newberry collapsed Tuesday, leaving a 20-foot hole. In Gainesville, a 6-by-15-foot section of a city street was washed out by fast-moving water.

Sinkholes occur when sand or soil beneath the surface begins to erode and falls into underlying limestone cavities, causing the surface to collapse.

LITTLE TORCH KEY - A tanker truck ran off U.S. 1, down an embankment and into shallow ocean water Wednesday, leaking fuel and closing the main road through the Florida Keys about 28 miles north of Key West.

The accident happened four days before the island chain risked a third brush with a hurricane in less than a month. The road, also called the Overseas Highway, is the only evacuation route for the lower Keys.

Lt. Dan Silvestro, the incident commander for the Coast Guard, said a pollution investigation did not indicate a significant spill. Most of the fuel was believed to be still in the tanker truck, he said.

The road was not blocked, but a half-mile section was closed because of the danger posed by the volatile cargo. Traffic backed up on both sides as authorities closed the highway about four hours. Another closure was planned Wednesday night to move fuel from the tanker to a new one.

The driver, whose name was not released, was sent to an area hospital with minor injuries.