Driver dead after truck plunges into icy Potomac River following crash on Arlington Memorial Bridge
WASHINGTON - The driver of a truck that plunged into the icy Potomac River Thursday night after a collision on the Arlington Memorial Bridge has died, authorities said.
U.S. Park Police confirmed the information to FOX 5 early Friday morning.
Dashcam video captures moment truck plunges off bridge into icy Potomac Riiver
What we know:
D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services said they received a call about the incident just before 7:00 p.m. on Thursday stating a vehicle became submerged in the river following the crash.
Divers were dispatched to the scene and were able to pull the driver from the water. The vehicle was also recovered.
What caused the initial collision?
A person from the vehicle that was involved in the collision on the bridge was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
D.C. Fire and EMS said that no other victims were found during secondary searches around the sunken vehicle.
What we don't know:
The exact circumstances of the crash remain unclear. However, Fox 5 did speak to an eyewitness to the crash who said the pick-up truck hit another car before veering across incoming traffic and crashing into the river.
Dashcam video shows the crash
Nigisti Adane took dashcam video showing what led up to the crash. She estimated the driver was under the water for at least 15 minutes before first responders arrived on scene.
"I called at 6:48, and when the cops came it had been 15 minutes at that point," Adane said. "The truck went straight down. I think usually, I assumed that cars would float a little bit, but it looked like it went straight down."
Authorities have not identified the drivers or passengers in the vehicles involved.
The Source: The information from this report comes from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department, the U.S. Park Police, and FOX 5 reporting