The driver of the Saab convertible was stuck inside his car for more than eight hours (Courtesy James City County Police)
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in an incident that left one car partially submerged in Powhatan Creek on Friday morning.
A Virginia Department of Transportation worker saw debris near the Powhatan Creek bridge on Monticello Avenue Friday morning at around 8:50 a.m. and eventually saw a red Saab convertible upside down in the water, said Deputy Chief Steve Rubino of the James City County Police Department.
James City County Police and the James City County Fire Department found one person stuck in the car and still conscious, police said.
Officers were able to pry open the door to free the driver, a 21-year-old Newport News man who was transported to Riverside Doctors’ Hospital for injuries not life-threatening.
The driver told police he was driving east on Monticello Avenue at around 1 a.m. when he ran off the right side of the road.
The car overturned and landed upside down partially submerged in the mud and water, trapping him inside until authorities responded at around 8:48 a.m.
The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending against the driver, Rubino said.