Colorado Springs vehicle repair shop responds to’Road Warrior’ coverage, offers pothole advice to drivers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Since debuting five weeks ago, KRDO13's The Road Warrior segments have received 74 emails from viewers, with nearly a third being pothole complaints regarding damage to vehicles or frustration with the pace of pothole repair.

Such coverage led Drew Hoffman, a marketing representative based in Nashville, Tennessee, to send an email to KRDO13.

"With the roads being in rough shape and potholes running rampant, would you be interested in connecting with a local automotive expert who can visually show viewers what to look out for if they suspect their car has sustained damage from the roads?" he wrote.

On Tuesday, Hoffman arranged an interview with Vaiden McKeehan, manager of Firestone, near the intersection of Academy and Palmer Park boulevards in Colorado Springs.

"We've seen more customers with pothole damage than we've seen in recent years," McKeehan said.

In fact, his first customer of the day was Roberta McDade, who damaged one of her front tires after hitting a pothole Monday at the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Nevada Avenue.

"The sun was in my eyes and i just did not see this pothole," she recalled. "I hit it, and I immediately knew I had done something really bad. So, I pulled off the road and sure enough, the tire was flat."

McDade would later learn that the repair bill is more than $2,100.

"That's the high end of what we usually see for pothole repairs," McKeehan said. "It'll take us all day to fix it."

McKeehan offered advice to drivers on potholes.

"If you hit one, don't brake into it," he explained. "If you see it in time, slow down. After you hit it, you can check for visible damage to a tire or wheel. You can also see if your car feels differently when you drive it. The alignment and suspension could be off. If you suspect that you have damage, it's best to have a qualified technician check it out."

McKeehan also recommends that people drive slower and be alert for potholes that could damage their vehicles.

The Road Warrior is working on getting interviews with local officials about pothole repairs as the street paving season arrives.