Man Dies After Car Plunged Into Canal Next To Florida Turnpike
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A driver that plunged into a canal next to the Florida Turnpike Extension early Tuesday morning has died.
A white Subaru sedan was pulled out of a canal out along the turnpike Tuesday morning at NW 74th Street after the driver, a 44-year-old man from Hialeah, lost control and went into the water.
"He was attempting to get on the Turnpike, failed to negotiate the turn, lost control of his vehicle and drove straight into the grassy area and into the canal shortly after," said Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alex Camacho.
The accident happened around 6:30 a.m. and it was the vehicles OnStar emergency system that notified first responders.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade police divers found the car and jumped into the canal, however getting to the driver was a challenge
"You're dealing with a lot of divers going in and trying to secure the tow ropes to get the vehicle out. They're also dealing with gators, it was a pretty complex location, there were a lot of things that made the accessibility more difficult," said Camacho.
Once first responders reached the driver, they pulled him out and rushed him to Kendall Regional Medical Center where officials said he was pronounced dead
Divers searched for a second person who may have been in the vehicle but were unable to locate anyone.
The cause of the crash is still being investigated.
