VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The car that crashed into the water after driving through the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier has been recovered by authorities after almost a week of submersion.
The crash happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 27, prompting a heavy police response that remained at the pier for much of the day. Many questions about the incident are unknown, but authorities have shared some updates in their investigation in the following days.
Here's what we know about the crash.
Virginia Beach Police confirm identity of man who drove off Pier
On Tuesday, the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) confirmed the identity of the man who drove off the Fishing Pier but won't share it due to the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The man was a 57-year-old from Virginia Beach and was the same person who had been reported missing by family members. A family had contacted the police thinking their missing male family member could be connected to the incident.
Police said there was no evidence of criminality before the man drove off the pier.
"While we cannot presume to fully know what motivated this individual’s actions, they do appear to have been deliberate," the Virginia Beach Police Department wrote in a news release.
The vehicle was extracted from the water after 6 days
A barge from the Portsmouth-based private contractor Crofton Industries arrived at the pier on January 3 around 6:15 a.m. Friday and the extraction attempt began at 9 a.m.
Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) working alongside Crofton Industries was able to recover and extract the vehicle using a salvage barge.
A spokesperson for Virginia Beach police said the vehicle was moved to a calmer location, where a forensics team will open the car doors in privacy. 13News Now has been told the car and the person's description fit with a missing person report filed by a Virginia Beach family days ago.
"There was a strong suggestion, lots of evidence that suggested that would support that," said Jody Saunders. "We'll know for sure when the forensics evidence is able to identify the body."
Days before the recovery, Sgt. Brian Ricardo with the Virginia Beach police's Special Operation Unit said crews had to operate carefully to preserve evidence as the car is technically a crime scene.
Rough conditions prevented the recovery of the vehicle for almost a week
On Monday, Sgt. Brian Ricardo with the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) Special Operation Unit said crews must operate carefully to preserve evidence as the car is technically a crime scene.
When crews first got to the scene Saturday morning, they faced currents up to 3.9 knots and couldn’t dive. Additionally, the vehicle is positioned underwater with zero visibility.
To help with recovery, the Portsmouth-based private contractor Crofton Industries stepped in, bringing a salvage barge along with professional salvage divers to try to recover the vehicle.
As of Thursday evening, weather and ocean conditions were again preventing crews from retrieving the vehicle. The National Weather Service has a Small Craft Advisory for the North Carolina/Virginia border that is in effect until 1 a.m. Friday.