Shocking moment car loses control before landing in canal
Gerrard Kaonga
Featured Image Credit: NBC
Dramatic security camera footage has shown the moment a car goes airborne and crashes into a canal.
The incident happened on Northwest 17 Terrace in Cape Coral, Florida, and resulted in a witness coming to the driver’s rescue.
Cape Coral Police have said the unnamed driver, who was in a Dodge Challenger car, was going 80 mph when the crash happened.
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Lorraine Holder, whose security cameras captured the moment, spoke to local station WESH 2 about the incident.
“I noticed there was a lot of people outside and I was like ‘okay this has piqued my interest let me go outside,’” she said.
“Sure enough, I go outside, and people said there was a car in the canal.
"I was just nervous. I was scared because after seeing the car go completely airborne, I was like, ‘OK, now this is something serious.'”
The security footage shows two cars speeding down the road before the driver in the Challenger fails to make a turn.
After bouncing several times and narrowly missing a person on the lawn, the car plummets nose first into the canal with a large splash. The vehicle then reappears on the surface with the driver attempting to get out.
The car begins to sink deeper into the canal as a crowd of locals begins to form.
One neighbor noted that her husband and others who witnessed the crash went to the scene to see if they could help. They said that one person jumped into the canal in order to help get the driver out.
“My husband happened to be outside smoking. And next thing I know, he’s taken off down the street,” the neighbor told Click Orlando.
The footage then shows a person in a blue shirt diving into the canal and swimming towards the car.
The airbags in the vehicle also appear to be deployed, seemingly making it more difficult for the driver to exit the car.
After an intervention from the man in the blue shirt, the pair are seen swimming towards the side out of the canal as the car begins to sink faster.
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the crash.
It is not clear whether either driver will face any charges.
A spokesperson for Cape Coral Police Department told UNILAD: "This is unacceptable behavior where someone could have been extremely hurt or killed. As a police department, we are always working to educate and enforce traffic laws to protect the community. The community must do their part and ensure they are driving with due caution and protecting the lives of those around them."