By Josh Troy
Clarksdale Advocate
The driver of the vehicle that was discovered in the Sunflower River on Thursday morning was located that same afternoon and taken to the hospital for observation, according to Clarksdale Police Department Captain of Criminal Investigation LJ Peters. A Chevy Impala was discovered in the Sunflower River next to the bridge on State Street at around 9 a.m. Thursday and Lutts Wrecker Service recovered the vehicle a little more than two hours later at around 11:15. It appeared the vehicle drove down the hill next to the bridge and went into the river.
The vehicle’s owner was then located in an abandoned house on the 300 block of Jackson Avenue at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday. The house was approximately 200 feet from where the vehicle was found in the Sunflower River. Peters said the vehicle’s driver was a female, around 20 years old, but he elected not to release a name since more information about the motive was unavailable.
Peters said the vehicle went into the Sunflower River early on Thursday morning, approximately six hours before the vehicle was located. “She stayed in that abandoned house overnight,” he said. “She drove her car into the water at approximately 3:15. We’ve got that from surveillance (cameras).”
Peters said a resident who lives in a house on the 300 block of Jackson Avenue discovered the driver of the vehicle between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m. Thursday and contacted the police department. He said officers responded to the call, located the driver at 2 p.m., and contacted Pafford Emergency Medical Systems to check on her. “They (Pafford) came and escorted her away from the scene,” Peters said. “They took her to the hospital. She’s getting treatment. She is OK.”
Peters acknowledged that the Clarksdale Fire Department, Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office, and surrounding counties were called for assistance after the car was discovered in the Sunflower River. “We just want to say thank you to everybody that came out and assisted,” he said.
