Driver crashes into Charles River in Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A Rhode Island man is thankful to be alive after driving into the Charles River Monday night. A tow truck pulled his 2014 Toyota RAV4 out of the river around 10 p.m., about two hours after he went into the water. The man, however, was rescued right away.

It happened along Memorial Drive near Flagg Street right after the large curve in the roadway. State police who were on the scene say they don’t know at this time how or why the driver ended up in the water. Witnesses estimated the car was going about 30 miles an hour. Officials believe the driver suffered a medical incident that caused him to lose control. No signs of drug or alcohol use was observed.

“The vehicle kept going it didn’t seem like it was slowing down,” said witness Mark McDermott. “He went flying right through this cut here and into the water and floated for a while. I’m thinking to myself do you jump in but the window rolled down. I saw a hand come out and wave and I said OK he’s gonna be OK because there was a rowboat going by.”

Thankfully, that boat threw the 23-year-old man from Exeter, Rhode Island a life jacket. Medics took him to Mount Auburn Hospital with minor injuries but this wasn’t the only scare. Witnesses say when the driver went into the water he was inches away from hitting a family walking nearby.

Update on the water incident, Charles River in the vicinity of Weeks Footbridge: the vehicle has been secured by FD divers & is in the process of being winched out of the water. pic.twitter.com/Mo21CJTC3C
— Cambridge Fire Dept. (@CambridgeMAFire) September 28, 2021

#BreakingNews Toyota RAV4 pulled out of the Charles River in Cambridge driver taken to the hospital to minor injuries #CambMA #boston25 @boston25 pic.twitter.com/FOHTpGiNPD
— Chetan Rakieten (@chetanrakieten) September 28, 2021