Man is rescued from submerged car after driving off raised bridge, Louisiana cops say

A man had to be rescued from his sunken car, after he crossed a raised bridge and accelerated straight into a Louisiana bayou, the Houma Police Department reports.

It happened around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Daigeville Bridge, police said in a news release. Houma is about 55 miles southwest of New Orleans.

Callers told police a vehicle was “submerged in Bayou Terrebonne and the driver was possibly trapped.” A photo released by the department shows only the trunk of the car was above water.

“Agencies arrived and confirmed that the driver was still in the vehicle,” police said.

“First responders and private citizens assisted the 62-year-old male occupant from the vehicle and were able to move him to the bulk head of the bridge. The driver was then able to board a Houma Police Department patrol boat.”

The man was taken to shore and transported to a hospital for treatment. He has since been released, police said.

Daigeville Bridge is a “vertical lift bridge” when means the midsection is raised straight up to allow vessels to pass underneath.

An investigation has revealed the crash happened when barricades were lowered and the bridge “was opened for a large vessel passing,” police said.

“As the driver approached the bridge he disregarded the barricade and drove his vehicle off of the bridge and into Bayou Terrebonne,” police said.

“The driver was issued a traffic citation for careless operation.”

The identity of the driver and details of his injuries were not released.

This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Man is rescued from submerged car after driving off raised bridge, Louisiana cops say."