Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Woman dies, husband injured after vehicle plunges into lake
PEMBROKE PINES — A woman died Wednesday after the car she and her husband were in plunged into a small lake in front of the Broward County Southwest Regional Library, authorities said.
Joan Rose, 61, of Miramar, was the passenger in the silver 2004 Toyota Highlander SUV that was submerged on its roof in a lake near 17200 Sheridan St., Pembroke Pines police said.
Her husband, Sandy Rose, 63, apparently had an unspecified medical issue while driving through the library parking lot and lost control of the car, said Capt. Al Xiques of the Pembroke Pines police.
“It is believed that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency, which is what caused his vehicle to veer off through the grassy area over several concrete curbs and submerging itself into the water,” Xiques said.
Three witnesses jumped into the water, attempting to pull the couple out while rescue crews arrived, Xiques said.
“Unfortunately, the vehicle had submerged into the water already and it was no longer visible,” Xiques said. “Officers then jumped into the water and tried to reach the vehicle, but they were unable to do so.”
Shortly thereafter, members of the police dive team were able to rescue the couple around 2:30 p.m., police spokeswoman Amanda Conwell said.
Both were taken to Memorial Hospital Miramar, where Sandy Rose remains in critical condition, Xiques said.
“We are hoping that he survives,” Xiques said. “This is a very sad and tragic situation.”
Wednesday afternoon, a line of yellow evidence markers formed a trail from the library parking lot, across a median and to the grass next to the lake, where police and tow truck operators worked to get the SUV out of the water.
Westbound traffic along Sheridan Street was halted at Dykes Road/Northwest 160th Avenue for about 45 minutes.
Xiques said the initiative taken by the witnesses in the crash was commendable.
“It’s worth noting the heroic efforts of the civilians and citizens involved in this incident who witnessed it and jumped into the water to save the life of a perfect stranger they had never met before,” Xiques said. “It’s an honorable thing to do.”
This crash was the second incident where a car landed in a waterway in Broward County.
Earlier Wednesday in Sunrise, a 50-year-old man named Paul Esposito was in a car that went into a canal on the eastbound side in the 11100 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard. Bystanders helped pull Esposito from the water, Officer Michelle Eddy said.
“He refused treatment,” Eddy said of Esposito. The incident happened about 10 a.m.