Rt. 30 Bypass potholes leave drivers stranded in Chester County, Pa.

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) — Drivers were stuck on the side of the Rt. 30 Bypass in Chester County on Thursday afternoon, dealing with car damage caused by potholes on the highway.

Cooper Kolb was one of the unlucky drivers.

“Out of absolutely nowhere, there’s this big ditch across the entire road that I could not avoid because there was a car on my left side. I ran right over it,” he told Action News.

Kolb said his front right tire popped, forcing him to immediately pull over to the side of the road.

READ MORE | PennDOT fielding more than 3,800 pothole reports after rough winter

“There was about 10 other cars on the side of the road with us,” he said.

That stretch of road is on PennDOT’s list of 30 state highways to be repaired this week, along with I-76 and I-95. The agency is currently handling more than 3,800 pothole reports, which they say is a higher volume than they’ve seen in recent years.

So far this year, PennDOT says maintenance crews have used more than 740 tons of asphalt to patch up problem spots.

If you’re dealing with pothole damage, PennDOT says you have the right to file a claim. To learn more, click here.