Tragedy struck in Scottsdale as flash floods claimed the life of 38-year-old Ander Pallares Polanco, who was found dead after his vehicle was caught in the sudden deluge. Officials confirmed that the vehicle became trapped during a severe flood, with rescue efforts hampered by the dangerous conditions. As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the incident occurred near 77th Street and Garfield during a flash flood storm on Sept. 26.
Initial investigations revealed that Polanco had been out delivering food earlier on the evening of his disappearance. Tow crews were able to retrieve his silver vehicle from a park walkway bridge at Vista Del Camino Park, the subsequent day, with the eyes of stunned neighbors upon it. "I have never seen anything like this," one neighbor, Ilena, told FOX 10 Phoenix. "It is pretty crazy," added another neighbor, Steven.
According to Arizona's Family, after floodwaters subsided, responders found Polanco's body the next morning in the vicinity of Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt, near Miller Road and Roosevelt Street. A silver car, identified as belonging to Polanco, was seen the previous evening, partially submerged near the site where his body was ultimately discovered.
Despite efforts by the Scottsdale Police to contact the registered owner, following the spotting of the submerged vehicle, Polanco's whereabouts remained unknown until the waters receded, revealing the tragic outcome. A second vehicle, a dark-colored car, was also seen near the scene, though its relation to Polanco's incident remains unclear, as per Arizona's Family. In light of the events, video overviews by drones and search teams could not detect any signs of movement inside the flooded car at the time of the incident.
Uber issued a statement following the incident, expressing their condolences to Polanco's family, "We're deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with the driver’s family during this extremely difficult time," they conveyed to FOX 10 Phoenix. As concerns rise over the area's propensity for flash flooding, resident John Baker shared that such incidents are not uncommon and warned that attempting to cross the dangerous wash is often tempting fate. Scottsdale Fire's Capt. Dave Folio echoed the sentiment in statements given to FOX 10 Phoenix, urging drivers to heed emergency alerts and avoid flooded roads.
