Woman Dies as SUV Flies Off Embankment Into Hutchinson River

A woman died after being pulled from a submerged Jeep that plunged into the Hutchinson River after the driver lost control, smashed through a fence and flew off an embankment in Westchester County Friday, multiple law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation told News 4.

It didn't appear there was anyone else in the vehicle at the time the SUV went into the water, near the Fulton Avenue Bridge in Mount Vernon, around 8:30 a.m.

The dead woman's name has not been release. Her family came to the scene of the crash earlier Friday but declined comment.

Witnesses told News 4 the driver of the Jeep had just pulled into a gas station. The next sound they heard was a loud crash. They rushed to the embankment, where they watched helplessly as the Jeep slowly sank into the river after plunging more than 10 feet from the ground above.

The back windshield wiper was still working as the car slowly submerged.

Multiple units, including members of the FDNY, responded to the scene. Video posted to the Citizen app showed a flurry of emergency activity. Detectives were seen taken photographs from the embankment.

Person Hospitalized After Vehicle Submerged in Hutchinson River @CitizenApp

Pelham Pkwy & S Fulton Ave 8:45:11 AM EDT

Witnesses said they could see a person in the car, but couldn't tell if they were coherent or responsive. They said they tried to yell to get the driver's attention, but got no response.

"There was nothing they could do but they tried. It was like trying to find something with your eyes closed -- in that water they couldn't see anything," witness John Valeate said.

Rescue boats later arrived on scene, with divers descending into the murky water to recover the woman's body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators are trying to piece together what happened in the minutes before the fatal plunge. Pelham Manor police, who are leading the investigation, did not provide an update on the investigation.