A man suffered life-threatening injuries after his car plunged off a bridge in Washington, D.C., into the icy water below during a snowstorm Thursday night.
The driver collided with another vehicle on the Arlington Memorial Bridge just before 7 p.m., causing his car to go over the bridge railing and into the Potomac River, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.
The car sank quickly and was completely submerged in water by the time emergency personnel arrived on the scene.
Fire officials said in a press conference at the scene that divers pulled the man from the sunken vehicle in just over 20 minutes.
Officials said the man was taken to shore and placed on “advanced life support” before being taken to a hospital.
Divers cleaned the submerged vehicle three times, but no other people were found inside. Recovery efforts to remove the car from the water have been postponed until midday Friday morning.
Two people in the other vehicle suffered minor injuries in the accident, and one was taken to the hospital. Fire officials said the car remained on the bridge.
The Arlington Memorial Bridge, a major commuter crossing that connects the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, remained closed Thursday night.
Officials have not provided further information about those injured in the crash.
