CLARK COUNTY — A driver was hospitalized after driving off Interstate 70 into a freezing pond in Clark County on Tuesday morning.
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The call came out just after 4:30 a.m. on I-70 eastbound near South Charleston Pike, according to an Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Dispatcher.
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The preliminary investigation revealed a Toyota Matrix, operated by 30-year-old Anderson Charles of Springfield, was traveling east on Interstate 70.
The Toyota traveled off the right side of the roadway, struck a fence, overturned, and traveled into a pond.
The car became fully submerged in the pond. Charles was able to exit the vehicle before it became submerged.
Charles was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center for minor injuries.
Troopers told News Center 7 crews on scene that he was hospitalized out of precaution due to being in the freezing cold water, but is expected to be okay.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash, according to the OSHP.
Charles was found to be at fault for the crash and was cited for Failure to Maintain Reasonable Control of a Motor Vehicle, Operating a Vehicle Without a Valid License, and Operating a Vehicle While Impaired by Drugs and/or Alcohol (OVI).
The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
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