Car Accident in the Boise Canal

A car accident left a man hospitalized after being submerged upside-down in the Boise canal for an astonishing 29 minutes. According to police reports, the car drove off the bridge and into a chain-link fence before overturning in the canal, where it ended up upside-down. The cause for this man to drive his car into the canal is unknown.

The force of moving water can be greatly underestimated, said the National Weather Service. A mere six inches of moving water can knock over an adult, while it takes just 12 inches of rushing water to carry away a small car. Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles. During times of inclement weather or poor visibility, it is imperative to exercise extra caution around canals, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. Being aware of waterways along your commute is a huge part of avoiding car accidents.

Route planning and familiarity with waterways have been spotlighted following the recent death of University of Idaho Dean, Paul Joyce in the Dworshak Reservoir near Orofino. The late Dean was driving from his hotel near Ahsahka on Friday, April 22and ended up traveling toward the Big Eddy Marina and boat ramp. Unfamiliarity with his surroundings and poor visibility are thought to have contributed to his fatal car accident. If you are traveling through an unfamiliar area, plan your route ahead of time and make sure you are aware of all waterways and entrances to waterways along your journey. If you should find yourself approaching an unknown body of water on a direct road, follow the rhyming instructions from the National Weather Service and “turn around, don’t drown” and then re-plan your route. Do not blindly follow GPS or phone navigator instructions if it looks like they are leading you into water.