Man Drives Car Into Bay, Waits 12 Hours to Call 911

The driver was able to escape with no injuries

A Volvo filled with water and seaweed emerged from San Diego's Mission Bay on Friday, the remnants of a crash from which one man was lucky to escape.

Lifeguard divers secured a line from the car to a tow truck, and with police looking on, the vehicle, with a badly damaged front end, was pulled slowly onto the beach.

It’s the end to a strange story that started after midnight on New Year’s Day.

The driver told San Diego police he misjudged a road as he drove home at about 2 a.m. His path took him from the street into the bay, completely covering his 2002 Volvo.

“It appears that he just drove straight off the turn without hitting the brakes, went straight into the water,” said SDPD Lt. Scott Wahl.

The man was able to roll down his window and escape without any injuries. He was the only one inside.

But instead of notifying 911 immediately, he waited until about 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon to call in the crash.

The man told police he thought officers would be busy and shouldn’t be bothered with something that was not an emergency, according to Wahl.

"Whether or not he had been drinking, we don't have any evidence of that at this time. We have some concerns about environmental issues here in the water,” said Wahl.

He said at this point, Coast Guard and lifeguard officials have not detected any damage to the environment, but they are still investigating.

The man will not face any criminal charges, but he will pay for the tow truck and damage to his Volvo. If any additional information about the crash comes in from witnesses, police could reevaluate charges, Wahl said.

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