A tragic traffic incident in Boca Raton has led to the death of a 69-year-old woman after a car she was a passenger in ended up in a canal. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report, the incident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. on the intersection of Boca Falls Drive and Palmetto Park Road. Sources state, the victim, identified as Joanne Romano, was riding in a Honda Crosstour when the vehicle was struck by a Volkswagen Passat and subsequently plunged into the water.
As detailed in a CBS12 report, the Honda, driven by a 59-year-old woman, failed to give way while maneuvering to head east on Palmetto Park Road. The 2012 Volkswagen Passat, carrying two teenagers, collided with the Honda, sending it off the road and into the adjacent canal. The crash resulted in the Honda being submerged, with the driver able to escape; however, Romano was trapped inside.
According to WPTV, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, where a diver rescued Romano. She was immediately taken to West Boca Medical Center, where, having sustained severe injuries including drowning, she later passed away. The rescue operation not only extracted Romano but was made more difficult by the car, which was leaking water as crews pulled it onto a truck's ramp.
Three other individuals, the driver of the Honda and the two 18-year-olds in the Passat, were also hospitalized following the incident. Photos from the scene showed the silver Honda, with its hood disastrously crushed and front window glass shattered, as crews worked diligently to retrieve it from the canal. A diver from Palm Beach County Fire reportedly managed to pull the passenger out, leading her to the hospital where she found death due to the collision's force.
Investigations into the crash by authorities are ongoing as they work to understand the events leading up to the tragic incident, as well as to determine the full extent of the injuries sustained by the survivors.
