A vehicle drove off a Virginia Beach fishing pier and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday – with a stunning moment caught on camera – as officials still have not recovered the car more than 24 hours later.
Footage captured by passers-by in the early hours of Saturday morning showed the vehicle traveling from the start of the jetty until it tipped over the edge and fell into a watery grave. A car’s brake light flickers sporadically leading to a surprising drop.
The car was driven directly from the VA Beach pier early Saturday morning. Kaylynn Crawford
“Is he going to drive off the side,” said a shocked girl as the video was recorded.
“There is no king’s way,” said the girl just as the car hit the ocean. “Dude, no.”
Authorities said Sunday afternoon they did not know who or how many occupants were in the car when it went into the water.
Efforts to reach the car, which police say is at the bottom of the sea, have been suspended for now because of the dangerous sea conditions.
Virginia Beach police said in a news release around 1 p.m. that a rescue barge and professional rescue divers from a private company tried to retrieve the car, but “bad” conditions in the water canceled that plan.
Dangerous water conditions have prevented the recovery of the car. 12 by your side
When police received a call near 7 a.m. on Saturday about the car hitting the water, the dangerous conditions also prevented divers from jumping in, police said. But sonar can then detect where the car is.
“At this time, the exact number or identity of the occupants is still unknown,” Virginia Beach police said. “The goal of this mission is to safely recover the vehicle, reunite all occupants with their loved ones, and preserve the integrity of all evidence.”
The girl who recorded the wild footage, 16-year-old Kaylynn Crawford, told the Virginia Pilot she and a friend were jogging on the sidewalk when they heard a crash while they were taking a break.
“As soon as they sped up, I was like ‘Oh no, he’s going to drive off the pier,'” he reportedly said.
The shocking moment was captured by a 16-year-old girl while running. Kaylynn Crawford
The car crashed into a gate that blocks the entrance to the jetty during the off-season, the newspaper reported, citing officials and local residents.
A worker whose shop was near the pier couldn’t believe it.
“My first reaction was that I was very surprised and then very sad,” Manan Scholl told WTKR.
It is unclear when the recovery process will resume.
“We also want to express our condolences to the family of the deceased,” said the police. “VBPD is working diligently to bring closure to their loved ones through our investigative and recovery process.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
