Driver dies in crash off I-5 into California Aqueduct near Patterson, teen missing
A 15-year-old is missing after a driver was found dead following a crash off the freeway into the California Aqueduct on Tuesday, authorities say.
California Highway Patrol says, just after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, they got a report about an SUV possibly seen crashing off of Interstate 5 near Sperry Avenue and going into the water of the California Aqueduct.
First responders confirmed that the vehicle had crashed into the water, prompting the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department's Dive Team to be called to the scene.
The vehicle was found to be an SUV that was pulling a single-axle utility trailer. Investigators believe the SUV was changing from the fast lane to the slow lane when it went off of the right shoulder – continuing down the embankment until it crashed through two sets of fencing and then going into the water.
Crews have since pulled the SUV out of the water, CHP says, finding the driver dead inside.
Officers said they later learned a 15-year-old boy was also in the vehicle and has not yet been located. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office said crews searched for the body of the teen but say it's now a recovery effort.
The name of the driver has not been released at this point in the investigation.
The California Aqueduct stretches from the Central Valley all the way to Southern California, delivering water from the Sierra Nevada.