A white Mercedes-Benz SUV was discovered submerged in a canal in Hialeah, Florida, earlier today, with the driver nowhere to be found, according to local authorities.
The vehicle was spotted shortly after 7:00 a.m. in the vicinity of West 16th Avenue and 68th Street, just east of the Palmetto Expressway, as reported by Local 10 News.
The Hialeah Gardens police alerted Hialeah Fire Rescue (HFR) about the submerged vehicle, prompting the immediate dispatch of divers and a tow truck to the scene.
Divers examined the inside of the SUV and confirmed that no one was trapped, easing the initial fears of nearby residents.
Locals living near the canal expressed their concerns to local media, fearful that someone might have been inside the vehicle when it plunged into the water.
Following the inspection, divers and tow operators worked together to retrieve the Mercedes from the canal and bring it ashore.
Once the vehicle was recovered, HFR authorities handed over the scene to the police department to further investigate the circumstances that led to the car's watery predicament.
The driver's whereabouts remain unknown, with no details provided about their identity or potential causes of the incident.
Hialeah, Florida's sixth-largest city, hosts one of the largest Cuban populations in the United States. The city is crisscrossed by an extensive network of drainage canals running through dense residential areas, historically making it a site for similar accidents.
In September 2019, a woman in her 70s drowned after her car plunged into a canal at an apartment complex in the same city.
In January of this year, a body was found floating in a Hialeah lake, an incident that also sparked speculation about a possible prior police chase.
Back in November 2018, a cement truck fell into a canal in Hialeah Gardens in a dramatic accident that also mobilized local emergency services.
The investigation into the submerged Mercedes remains ongoing, with police not ruling out any theories regarding how the vehicle ended up in the canal.
FAQs on the Hialeah Canal Incident
What time was the submerged Mercedes discovered?
The Mercedes was spotted shortly after 7:00 a.m. in Hialeah, Florida.
Were there any injuries reported?
No injuries were reported as divers confirmed there was no one inside the SUV.
Have the authorities provided any details about the driver?
As of now, the driver's whereabouts are unknown, and no details about their identity have been shared.