Pickup truck fished out of river in county
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 7, 2009 1:46 PM
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An unoccupied pickup truck was pulled from the Neuse River at Arrington Bridge Road around 9:30 this morning. Officials said it appears the truck was intentionally driven into the river.
It appears that a truck recovered this morning from the Neuse River at Arrington Bridge Road might have been intentionally driven into the river near the city's wastewater treatment plant.
The truck was pulled from just under the bridge about 9:35 this morning. No one was inside.
Investigating Trooper Benny Grady said the 1997 Ford 150 is registered to Robert Christopher Douglas, 421 N. Main St., Graham.
Officials on the scene said it appears the vehicle was driven down a path on the east side of the bridge, crossing under the bridge before running into the river on the west side of the bridge.
Divers from the Wayne County Sheriff's Underwater Recovery Team and the Arr-Mac Water Rescue Water Response Team responded to the scene along with the Highway Patrol and sheriff's deputies about 8:45 a.m.
With two boats in the water, divers checked the burgundy pickup truck. The roof of the vehicle could be seen just above the swift-moving currents.
A wrecker on top of the bridge lowered a cable that was connected to the truck by a diver. After the diver was recovered and the boats moved away, the wrecker began slowing wrenching the truck up to the bridge.
Deputies and EMS officials gathered along the bank to watch the process and to call in the license tags.