What Georgia drivers should do if a pothole damages their vehicle

A metro Atlanta driver says a pothole on the highway left her with a blown tire and damage to her rims.

"My question to them would be what if their daughter or mother or child was driving on the road and hit the same pothole? Is it going to take someone dying?" said Kim Brooks.

What should have been a normal commute for turned out pricey and frustrating after she hit a pothole on Interstate 285 west near the construction zone near the Georgia 400 interchange on Tuesday.

"Immediately, the car went to the right which was the side the tire and rims were blown," said Brooks. "I was scared. I was absolutely scared. The car was shaking violently."

Brooks says the massive pothole in the road caused the damage and because of the construction zone, it made it difficult to pull over.

"Honestly, I was scared to get out of the car. I was barely off of 285. Tractor trailers going by and the afternoon traffic," Brooks said.

Brooks wasn’t alone.

"I noticed a car behind me pull in. A few minutes later, a car in front of me pulled in, and then by the time we had the tow truck come, we had a fourth car pull in that had tires blown from this crater," Brooks said.

FOX 5 reached out to the Georgia Department of Transportation who say they are no stranger to this issue. They say drivers who want to report infrastructure issues should call 511.

Drivers that have suffered damage should contact the district safety officer for the district where the damage occurred, in this case it is metro Atlanta District 7. Claims against the state are filed with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services.

Brooks says she wants the hole filled before someone is hurt.

"511 said they could see me on the traffic camera. They saw what happened, but no hero unit showed up, and I was there for two hours waiting," Brooks said.

To find the districts and contacts for the Georgia Department of Transportation, click here.