MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – When a pothole popped two of her tires, a South Florida woman "left it to Layron."
One month later, that decision is paying off and, quite literally, paving the way for thousands of other drivers hitting one section of South Florida roadway.
Saundra Gause told the Leave it to Layron team that she was on her way home a year ago while it was raining. She said a pothole was hidden under all the water and she ran over it, blowing out two of her tires.
"I think it's unfair that the people responsible for the road, they don't want to pay," she said.
Gause contacted the Leave it to Layron team last month.
Now, a month later, the pothole has been patched up.
The Florida Department of Transportation owns the section of Northwest Sixth Avenue 6th Avenue, where the pothole was. It was located near the 62nd Street off-ramp from Interstate 95 south in Miami-Dade County.
A contractor is in charge of maintaining the road.
Gause filed a claim with FDOT for her damaged tires, but the claim was denied because FDOT was not aware of the pothole until Gause reported it.
"It's a catch-22," said Michael Flynn, a law professor with Nova Southeastern University. "You can't make FDOT responsible for every pothole, even the most dangerous potholes, unless they know of them."
The contractor repaired the pothole after Gause reported it.
"Because sometimes, like I said before, you don't have the money to buy a new tire, or trying to correct a car with a front-end alignment," she said. "I have a daughter in college. I'm a single parent ... but, thank God for Jesus!"
The roadway has since been repaved, with new asphalt, new stripes and new reflectors.
"It's an interesting coincidence," Local 10's Layron Livingston said.
"Very interesting coincidence," Gause added.
The remnants of what was Gause's patched pothole are now gone.
"It's sad that this incident had to occur for all of this to happen," Gause said. "We all pay taxes for these roads to be done, and they need to get done like they're supposed to."
Layron reached out to FDOT to see when the work order went out, but is awaiting a response.
In the meantime, Gause said what used to be a nervous drive through the area has turned into a smooth and confident one.
