Airborne car struck wall before entering creek

A car that went down a creek in San Jose this morning has been removed from the scene and a person injured in the crash was taken to a trauma center, a fire captain said.

Firefighters responded to a report of a car that went down Penitencia Creek around 8:30 a.m., San Jose fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.

A dark blue Honda Fit was traveling on Piedmont Road before it went down the creek, Matlow said.

Based on witness statements, the car was traveling at a high rate of speed, struck a bridge and became airborne, according to Matlow.

The vehicle then bounced off of the bridge railing and hit nose first into a concrete wall before landing in the creek 15 feet below the street, Matlow said.

The injured person was being treated as a major trauma patient but an update on the individual’s condition was not available this morning, Matlow said.

Oils from the car had spilled into the water, he said.

Hazardous materials crews were called to the scene to remove as much of the oils that they could safely retrieve, according to Matlow.

The vehicle was taken out of the creek and placed on a tow truck about two hours after the crash, the fire captain said.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have also been notified of the incident, Matlow said.

Matlow said the crash was “probably the most dramatic vehicle accident I’ve seen in awhile.”

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