(HorizonPost.com) – At least one person is presumed dead after a car drove down a Virginia Beach fishing pier and plunged into the ocean early last Saturday morning, ABC News reported.
Recovery efforts were underway on Monday to search for the vehicle and its occupant or occupants.
According to the Virginia Pilot, a 911 caller reported to police at 6:52 a.m. on Saturday, January 27 that a car had driven through the entrance gate of the pier before driving to the edge and plunging into the water.
Jude Brenya, a spokesman for the Virginia Beach Police Department told the Virginia Pilot that responding officers arrived within minutes.
Police believe that the car was likely just below the end of the pier 17 feet below the surface of the water.
Kaylynn Crawford was out running with a friend on the Boardwalk when they stopped to film the sunrise along the pier at about 6:50 a.m. Before Crawford even started filming, she heard the crash of the car plowing through the access gate at the entrance to the pier.
The video footage was later posted on Facebook by Crawford’s father. It showed the vehicle driving toward the end of the pier. The car braked slightly before the driver drove the vehicle over the edge of the pier and into the water.
According to Jude Brenya, by the time officers arrived, the car was completely underwater and not visible from the pier.
Police were not sure how many people were in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Brenya said it was presumed that whoever was in the car was now dead.
Virginia Beach Police and Fire Department are working with other local authorities to recover the vehicle and any occupants. A marine patrol unit was called in to assist in the search using sonar equipment.
According to Brenya, the driver’s motive for launching off of the pier was not known. However, the investigation was ongoing.
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