Highway officials say an 80-year-old man died Tuesday while trying to drive through a flooded road in North Carolina. The state was dealing with a record-setting weather event.
In a report, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said that Richard Walton Robinson drove a blue Subaru Crosstrek SUV around two Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office vehicles that were stopped and into high water on NC 211. The patrol then got a call about a submerged vehicle.
The sheriff’s cars were stopped in the middle of the road with their blue lights on because the Lockwood Folly River Bridge was under water. Authorities said the road could not be used.
The accident took place in Brunswick County, which is 34 miles southwest of Wilmington, at 12:17 a.m., according to a news release from the highway police.
Robinson sank his SUV completely when he drove around the sheriff’s office cars. A water rescue team showed up and looked for his car but couldn’t find it.
Early morning the next day, police went back to find the SUV. Robinson was already dead when the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team found the car.
The police said that alcohol or speed had nothing to do with the crash. The probe is still going on.
Early this week, the North Carolina coast was hit by record-high rainfall and “life-threatening” flash floods. The National Weather Service office in Wilmington says that some coastal towns got more than a foot of rain in the first 12 hours of Monday. This kind of downpour only happens about once every 200 years.
What to do if you’re out and about during a flood
The National Weather Service says that floods are one of the most regular risks in the United States. They can happen almost anywhere in North Carolina at any time of the year.
Floods are usually caused by too much rain, storms, or broken dams.
“Anywhere it rains, it can flood,” the group said on its website.
The office says, “Flooding is dangerous whether you are at home, in a car, or on foot.” “A few inches of water is enough to knock you down or wash away your car.” Never drive on roads that are flooded. Stay away from rivers and streams that are full of water.
Some tips the agency gave are:
- Avoid driving into flooded areas.
- If floodwaters rise around your car, leave the car and move to higher ground if possible.
- Do not camp or park your vehicle along streams, rivers or creeks.