KATIE AGUILAR: Donnie Monk starts her off her day like most of us do.
Brushing her teeth.But with one slight difference.
DONNIE MONK: The toothpaste that I have to use is something that is meant for teeth that is meant for teeth that have been weaken from accidents.
AGUILAR: Monk was involved in a bicycle accident last June.
MONK: Sorry. This is hard to talk about. As I was riding my bike, I remember myself just trying to avoid potholes. I ended up flipping off of the bike.
AGUILAR: Monk lost her two front teeth and fractured another two. She says the procedure to fix teeth
knocked out of their sockets, …
MONK:…is not even supposed to work. The rate of people actually succeeding with an avulsion
of their two frOnt teeth is below 10 percent.
AGUILAR: It’s potholes like this one…and these…that are
found everywhere in Syracuse. These potholes put bicyclists and drivers in danger.People can report potholes online.
MONK:This is actually where I knocked out my teeth
AGUILAR: Monk says she reported the pothole soon after her accident and has not received any
updates after reaching out to Complaint Investigator, Carrie Reilly, through emails.
MONK: I’ve reported the pothole twice since June and it’s still not full. It’s still here and is still putting others at risk.
AGUILAR: Monk is originally from Ohio and her insurance does not cover her in New York State. She payed over $2,000 dollars out of pocket for her teeth replantations.This is a temporary fix and she lives everyday with the possibility of losing her teeth again.
MONK: My teeth could fall out at any moment for all I know.
AGUILAR:She advises people on bikes to always be vigilant.
MONK: This could be anybody in Syracuse that could ride a bike over that pothole. People ride bikes nowadays. So it should be taken more seriously.
AGUILAR:I’m Katie Aguilar, N-C-C News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – A woman who suffered a severe pothole accident last year, claims the pothole is still not fixed. Donnie Monk, a SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry student, was riding her rental bicycle last June when she encountered a pothole.
“I remember myself just trying to avoid potholes,” said Monk. “I ended up flipping out of the bike.”
Monk had two dental avulsions, the removal of teeth from their sockets due to trauma. She also fractured two other front teeth. Monk payed over $2,000 dollars out of pocket because she is not insured in New York State.
Her teeth replantations are a temporary fix. Monk said she lives with the fear of losing them again every day.
“My teeth can fall out tomorrow for all I know,” said Monk.
Monk said she reported the potholes twice after her accident to the Department of Public Works in Syracuse. She did this by emailing potholes@syrgov.net. While visiting the location of her accident, Monk said she only cares about the pothole being fixed so that others will not end up in the same situation.
“This could be anybody in Syracuse that could ride a bike over that pothole,” said Monk. “People ride bikes nowadays. So it should be taken more seriously.”
The Department of Public Works has yet to respond to this claim. According to their website, there are several ways to report potholes to the City of Syracuse. Aside from sending an email, you can call 315-448-CITY or visit here.
