Police trace driver of car found in river
Police have issued an update into an investigation launched after a car was recovered from the River Wear in Sunderland.
Inquiries were launched at 8.15am on Thursday, after the black vehicle was spotted in the water close to the Queen Alexandra Bridge.
Northumbria Police’ s Marine Unit helped support officers as the car was retrieved from the banks and lifted on to the back of a recovery truck the next morning.
Efforts were launched to try and trace the driver and work out how it came to be in the river, although it was not
believed anyone was injured.
Yesterday, the force said its officers had spoken to the driver, with no further action to be taken.
Sunderland RN LI and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service were also involved in the initial efforts to check the car when it was reported to the emergency services.
Sunderland Central Fire Station’s White Watch was called to the scene, with checks made to ensure the car was empty before the matter was handed over to the police.
A spokesperson for the RN LI said :“Our team of volunteers worked alongside other emergency services to ensure no one was trapped in the vehicle after entered the River Wear. After spending an hour at the scene they were stood down and released from the incident allowing our volunteers to return to their full-time jobs."
Fire service photos show the vehicle submerged in water off the south banks of the river near Deptford.