His car was submerged in a canal. Wet roads, speed were to blame

A driver took a turn off northbound Highway 41 too quickly and ended up in a Fresno canal on McKinley Avenue, police say.

Around 7:50 p.m., Fresno police Lt. Carl McKnight said the driver, who was in his 20s, was not under the influence. Rather, he was a victim of wet road conditions.

McKnight said the man called for help from inside his car. But two people, who McKnight called “heroes,” were nearby. An off-duty officer saw the accident take place, pulled over, summoned another passerby and made a human chain to get the man out from his sinking white SUV.

The man did not have any injuries, and his car will be pulled out by a tow truck. There were no passengers in the submerged vehicle.

McKnight says cars driving into canals aren’t common, but wet weather conditions make it a more common occurrence. He says the public should remember to adjust their driving habits in accordance with the weather.

This story was originally published April 16, 2018 at 9:02 PM with the headline "His car was submerged in a canal. Wet roads, speed were to blame."