A two-vehicle crash on Old Wake Forest Road sent one car down an embankment and into a retention pond Tuesday night, and it was a pair of strangers, not first responders, who reached the trapped driver first. Jertaves Jenkins had just closed up the Breakfast Bar at Triangle Town Center when he noticed the wreck and scrambled down the hill to check on the driver, according to WRAL.
According to WRAL, Raleigh police said officers received a call about the crash around 8:12 p.m. on Old Wake Forest Road. Police said one of the two vehicles involved went down the embankment and into the retention pond below.
As reported by WRAL, Jenkins described making his way toward the water through brush and thorns after spotting the submerged car, which he identified as a Honda or a Camry. Someone near the pond was heard yelling, “Help me, I can’t swim,” and another bystander tried throwing a rope toward the water, but it still wasn’t long enough to reach the driver stranded in the pond.
A Rope That Fell Just Short
Despite the rope coming up short, the driver managed to swim to it right before first responders arrived on scene, as noted by WRAL. Jenkins said he was relieved the night ended without tragedy, framing his decision to climb down the embankment simply: he said he would want someone to do the same for him.
Police said both drivers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one has been charged, and the investigation into the crash remains ongoing, the report notes.
What Remains Unknown
Raleigh police have not detailed what caused the crash, the identities of the two drivers, or exactly how the driver was ultimately brought out of the water to safety. For now, the account of that night rests largely on what Jenkins and the responding officers described to WRAL, with the broader investigation still unresolved.
