2 Dead, 1 Injured After Car Plunges into River During High-Speed Crash as Search Continues for Missing Passenger

2 Dead, 1 Injured After Car Plunges into River During High-Speed Crash as Search Continues for Missing Passenger https://ift.tt/EgmnCaP

A fourth person who was in the car sustained non-life-threatening injuries

NEED TO KNOW

• Two people were killed after a high-speed crash in Portland ended with a car plunging into the Willamette River, police said
• One person who was rescued sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while another is missing but "presumed deceased," according to authorities
• Crews are searching a football field-sized area of the river, which officials say is challenging due to poor visibility

Two people are dead, another is injured and a fourth is missing after a high-speed car crash in Oregon ended with a vehicle plunging into a local river.

The vehicle was traveling “the wrong way at a high rate of speed on downtown Portland streets” when police attempted to initiate a traffic stop just after 2 a.m. local time on Monday, April 6, according to a news release from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).

That’s when the vehicle “accelerated away eastbound on Southwest Harvey Milk Street” then continued into Waterfront Park “before crashing into the Willamette River.”

One person who was rescued from the river after the crash sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The remains of two other individuals were also recovered.

Meanwhile, a fourth person remains unaccounted for, but police said that individual is “presumed deceased.”

Police said the four people involved in the crash were between the ages of 17 and 20, according to Fox affiliate KPTV and Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). Their names have not been released.

Police said the officer who attempted the traffic stop “did not pursue the vehicle” before it crashed into the river.

Officials are still searching for the fourth individual. Rick Graves, a spokesperson for Portland Fire and Rescue, said searching the bottom of the river is an “arduous” task, according to CBS affiliate KOIN.

“The visibility is difficult. There’s a current; this is a decent amount of flow right now. It’s a challenge,” Graves said.

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Authorities said crews have been on their hands and knees while searching a portion of the river that is “over the size of a football field,” according to KOIN and OPB.

"This is a heartbreaking incident that has resulted in a tragic loss of life," PPB Assistant Chief Brian Hughes said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those affected as we continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this event."