Philadelphia woman finds car encased in ice after apparent pipe burst nearby along Front Street
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A 2016 Honda Civic on North Front Street is drawing crowds this week, not for its make or model, but because it’s completely encased in ice.
The car, parked along the 1000 block of North Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown section, has become an unexpected neighborhood attraction after a nearby water main break left it frozen in place.
Layers of ice now seal the vehicle shut, transforming an ordinary parking spot into what some are calling “nature’s art installation.”
“I had to stop and see this car,” said Brooke Freeman, who came from Fishtown after seeing photos online.
Kate Shooltz, from Northern Liberties, had a similar reaction. “I feel bad for that person, do they know that their car’s there?” she said.
That person is Tianna Graham, the Civic’s owner and the unlikely star of Philly’s latest viral moment.
Graham says her car was parked near the site of a 6-inch water main break reported on Wednesday. It was stuck behind caution tape while crews worked in the area. When she returned the next day, she was stunned by what she found.
“I was definitely in shock,” Graham said.
Shock, and ice. The vehicle appeared frozen in time, coated in thick layers that covered the windows, doors and tires.
Unsure what to do next, Graham shared photos of her icy car on social media. The post quickly gained traction, with commenters turning her misfortune into a stream of jokes and memes.
“I’ve looked through some of the comments, they’re pretty funny,” she said.
Among the online reactions? Jokes that the Philadelphia Parking Authority might still issue her a ticket.
“People had photoshopped little tickets onto the windshield of my car, so I thought that was pretty funny, honestly,” Graham said.
As the post spread, so did the foot traffic. Neighbors and curious onlookers have been stopping by to snap photos.
“Someone posted it like it’s their car and there were so many comments about it, and I was like I got to see this, this is so crazy,” Freeman said. “It’s actually crazier than I thought. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Shooltz agreed. “It’s nature’s art installation, you could say, so we had to come and see it. I actually saw it on Instagram, so we drove over.”
For now, the Civic remains frozen in place, a block of ice on four wheels. Graham says her insurance company is scheduled to tow it on Monday.
Despite the inconvenience, she’s choosing to laugh it off.
“It’s funny, I can’t help but laugh at it too. It’s just, what can you do about it?” she said.
Some neighbors think the viral fame might bring her a bit of luck.
“She should play the lottery,” Shooltz joked.
The Philadelphia Water Department says crews repaired the 6-inch water main break on Thursday.
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