Austin police remove car from local lake in fatal crash
A woman in her 30s was found dead inside a car that sank into a lake overnight in Austin, according to Texas police.
Texas first responders removed a woman's body and her submerged car from Lake Austin early Tuesday morning.
Austin police said just after 3:30 a.m., they received several 911 calls about someone screaming for help on Scenic Drive in West Austin.
Once officers arrived, they spotted a vehicle in the water, near a boat ramp on the shore of Lake Austin, the department said.
The Austin Police Department shared that they were notified of the fatal crash after neighbors nearby heard the victim screaming for help. (Fox 7 Austin)
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By 4:00 a.m., rescue swimmers with the Austin Fire Department entered the lake and pulled out the woman who was in her 30s. Despite first responders performing life-saving measures, the young woman passed away.
A second woman, who is believed to have been inside the vehicle with the deceased woman, survived and is speaking to investigators.
Homicide detectives are investigating the woman's death, but Austin police said at this time there is no indication of foul play, it is still "early in the investigation."
It’s not clear how the car ended up in the water, but investigators say it appears to have gone down a boat ramp while the woman was inside. A second woman was in the car and survived. (Fox 7 Austin)
The car went down one of the boat ramps at Walsh Landing. The car sank fast, which doesn't surprise Mark Lewis who launches his boat regularly from this spot.
"Because this ramp dropped fast so that they as soon as they went in, it's the slope on it. You're going to be underwater before you know it. That's why I always set my brake, my truck when I'm launching, because if something pops out of gear or somehow my truck disengages, I'm in the water and fast, you can see how steep it is. It's a steep ramp," Lewis told Fox 7.
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When the car was towed away, there were no signs of any major damage.
"I do think there's enough light. And I also think that the turns are short enough that it would be hard to make such a drastic mistake," Kristen Butt told Fox 7.
The car immediately sunk into the Austin, Texas lake. Once authorities removed the sedan, it did not appear to be severely damaged from the plunge. (Fox 7 Austin)
Mark Lewis also noted how it takes a lot of maneuvering to reach the boat ramp.
"And then not only to maneuver in here, but then to drive into the water. I mean, I don't understand how they did it. It's we were just talking, my wife and I, because we come here quite a bit, and it's you have to know how to even get in here. And then that just draws straight into the wall. That's the saddest thing I've heard in a long time," said Lewis.
If you have any information regarding this incident, call the homicide tip line at 512-477-3588.
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