What started as a simple search for a lost pet ended in tragedy after a Pennsylvania grandmother fell into a hidden sinkhole and never made it out.
64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard was outside a restaurant in Latrobe on the night of December 2, 2024, helping her granddaughter look for a missing cat when the ground beneath her suddenly gave way.
According to a lawsuit filed by her family, Pollard fell roughly 20 feet into a sinkhole that opened above an abandoned underground mine. Her body was not recovered until four days later, found about 12 feet from where the collapse occurred.
Now, her family is demanding answers — and accountability.
The lawsuit claims both Monday’s Union Restaurant and U.S. Steel should have known the area was dangerous and taken steps to prevent something like this from happening.
Legal filings argue the ground where Pollard fell was highly vulnerable due to decades-old mining activity beneath the surface, making it prone to sudden collapse.
“The defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous condition,” the complaint states, pointing to the risks posed by abandoned mine workings below the property.
Pollard had just stepped out of her car to search for the cat when she disappeared into the ground without warning.
Her family’s attorney, Mark Malone, says the case isn’t just about financial damages — it’s about making sure no other family has to experience a loss like this.
“They don’t want her name, in death, to mean nothing,” he said.
The lawsuit also claims those responsible for the property failed to provide safe walkways and parking areas for visitors.
U.S. Steel, which reportedly operated the mine until 1953 and may still own the mineral rights beneath the land, has said it is reviewing the lawsuit. The restaurant has not publicly commented.
Pollard is remembered by loved ones as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoyed gardening, crafts, and caring for her cats.
Did they find the cat?