A black Suzuki drove into Alameda Creek in Fremont’s Niles Canyon area early Thursday, in about the same spot an 18-year-old girl drove her Honda into the same creek over the weekend.
The driver of the Suzuki got out about 5 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County fire department, and was able to walk out alive.
CHP Officer Derek Reed said the 27-year-old driver from Patterson was westbound on Niles Canyon when he fell asleep and woke up to find himself crossing the yellow lines. He over corrected, Reed said, and his car went into the creek about a quarter mile west of where Jayda Jenkins of Tracy's Honda plunged into the creek on Saturday.
The man was able to climb out of the front windshield and swim to safety, Reed said. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
As for Jenkins, her body has still not been recovered, although her Honda Accord was pulled out of the creek on Monday and her clothes were also found. She was driving her Honda this weekend after she crossed the center divide on Niles Canyon Road, and collided with another Honda, which sent her into the creek.
On Jan. 10, a couple driving an SUV drove into flooded waters along nearly the same route in Niles Canyon. They didn't realize how deep the water was in the area following the heavy rains and were stuck after a mudslide shut off part of the road. Luckily, she said, their vehicle didn't go into the creek.
Without knowing all the details of each case and if the drivers were speeding or not, Bosques said in general, "the canyon is very narrow and has many sharp curves. It is also notorious for mudslides during the rainy weather. I honestly can't remember the last time a car went into the water."
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Reed added that he's been covering this region for seven years and has never before heard of cars going into the creek, saying that all these accidents have different underlying reasons and are coincidental.
NBC Bay Area's Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.
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