Turn around, don’t drown: Car gets stuck in flood waters

Published 12:04 am Thursday, January 5, 2023

A winter deluge dampened many motorists’ Salisbury commutes Wednesday morning and even brought one Salisbury driver’s trip to a complete standstill.

After high floodwaters trapped a driver inside their vehicle, the Salisbury Fire Department responded to the scene. The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near the intersection of Military Avenue and Railroad Street, underneath the railroad trestle.

According to Salisbury Fire Chief Bob Parnell, his crew rescued a single male driver from the vehicle.

“Our crew arrived and assessed the situation,” Parnell said. “We stabilized the vehicle. They did not have to perform anything special. The driver was still in the vehicle. The rescuers donned personal protective devices and got the driver out and back on solid ground.”

Parnell estimated that the flood waters were a “little less” than two feet deep.

Fortunately, the motorist did not sustain injuries during the incident, and the crews were able to remove the vehicle from its submerged position using a winch.

The fire chief urged motorists to use caution when traveling in wet conditions.

“Anytime you see a flooded roadway, even if it’s shallow, it might be deeper than you think,” Parnell said. “Avoid the area, turn around and go a different way.”