ORLANDO, Fla. — One person died and another was in critical condition Saturday after a crash on East Colonial Drive in Orlando sent a car careening into a retention pond, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The crash was reported just before 3 p.m. in the 6100 block of East Colonial Drive.
According to investigators, a GMC pickup truck, driven by Charles Dunn, 52, hit the rear end of a Honda Civic driving in front of it.
The impact caused the Honda to spin and travel backward into the pond, troopers said.
Witness Andy Rivera was one of the people who jumped into the pond to help the victims after the crash.
"I just took off my clothes and ran over to the lake," he said. "It was very scary. It was very emotional. It was confusing."
Jesus Aucaquizhpi, 70, was pulled out of the car but died, troopers said. A woman, who was not identified, was also removed with serious injuries, troopers said.
While FHP is investigating the crash, the Orange County Sheriff's Office dive team was called in to see if anyone was still in the fully-submerged car.
Witnesses told Channel 9 that after the crash, the driver of the other vehicle involved and several bystanders jumped into the pond to assist the victims.
No other information was immediately released on the crash.
I'm on E Colonial Drive by the @HomeDepot where a car went into a retention pond. Witness tells me 1 person pulled out @WFTV pic.twitter.com/8iAIiQYWAC
— Cierra Putman WFTV (@CPutman_WFTV) October 14, 2017
Witnesses tell me car in the water got into a crash w/this truck. I'm told truck driver & several others jumped into pond to help @WFTV pic.twitter.com/vwXigE7QC8
— Cierra Putman WFTV (@CPutman_WFTV) October 14, 2017
.@OrangeCoSheriff dive team called into help along with @OCFireRescue but @FhpOrlando is the agency in charge of investigation @WFTV pic.twitter.com/Hu1Ie4h9ff
— Cierra Putman WFTV (@CPutman_WFTV) October 14, 2017
.@FhpOrlando: 1 woman dead, 1 man is critical following this crash. Divers going in to check to see if anyone is still in car @WFTV pic.twitter.com/wMgcTFAUqf
— Cierra Putman WFTV (@CPutman_WFTV) October 14, 2017
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