Police Department

SPD Investigating Vehicle in the Spokane River

Cpl. Ronald Van Tassel

Monday, April 23, 2018 at 8:16 a.m.

On April 21, 2018 Officers responded to the area of Sinto and South Riverton to investigate a collision scene. At that location, Sinto dead end’s after crossing South Riverton. There is a guard rail at the location and then the river beyond.

Officers onscene determined that a vehicle was traveling westbound on Sinto, went through the guard rail and into the river. The guard rail was heavily damaged and parts to a car were broken off and still laying at the scene. However, due to the amount of water in the river and the extremely strong currents, Officers were not able to locate the vehicle. The Spokane Fire Department has a drone that can be used to search up and down the river, due to high winds they were not able to deploy that drone.

Officers continued the investigation throughout the day. Nobody had made any missing persons reports and nobody had reported a vehicle matching the description of car parts left behind missing either.

Several hours later an Officer was able to locate what appears to be a vehicle submerged in the water relatively close to the original crash scene. Water rescue experts with the Fire Department and Sheriffs dive team both advised that the current conditions in the water are too dangerous to risk putting somebody in the water to investigate or recover the vehicle.

Those experts will continued to monitor the water flow rate of the river and they will determine when it is safe to enter the water.

Citizens are advised to avoid the area and not to enter the water, the currents are extremely dangerous.

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