Man Found Dead In Car Submerged In Swollen Novato Creek
NOVATO (CBS SF) -- A man was found dead inside a car that was partially submerged in a swollen creek in Novato Monday in a crash likely caused by speed and worn tires, according to authorities.
The Marin County Fire Department said it received a call around 8:30 a.m. Monday of a vehicle over the side of the road and in a creek along the 5000 block of Novato Blvd.
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Emergency crews arrived and found a white Nissan Altima which upside down on the creek bed and partially submerged in the rushing water.
Inside the car was a male in his 20s, the fire department said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay said the Altima failed to negotiate a curve in the road as it traveled west along Novato Blvd. toward Point Reyes-Petaluma Road.
The car slid into a guard rail and dropped about 15 feet into the creek, landing on its roof, Barclay said. Three of the car's four tires were worn to the point of being almost completely bald, he said.
It was not clear what time the car crashed off the roadway and there were no witnesses to the crash.
The victim had not yet been identified by the coroner's office.
Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
