A woman is dead after a car with two people inside crashed into a canal in Cooper City Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Deputies and fire rescue responded to the canal at Griffin Road and Southwest 90th Avenue around 6 a.m. and a dive team began a search to find the car, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said.
A man who was a passenger in the car was able to get out, but the woman who was driving did not. She was found dead inside the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
Her mother identified her as 23-year-old Caitlynn Heron. She said their matching tattoos helped identify her.
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The man was taken to a local hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. He was later identified as 24-year-old Joseph Foster, of Davie.
Aerial footage captured more than a dozen emergency vehicles parked near the canal as divers searched the waters. Emotional people could also be seen approaching the scene. One woman collapsed to the ground with her head in her hands.
The footage later showed the damaged white vehicle being pulled from the canal.
BSO spokesman Carey Codd said investigators believe it was a single-car crash involving an Infiniti G37XS.
For unknown reasons the car veered and struck a raised concrete sidewalk, crashed into the wall of a small bridge and went airborne before it went into the water, Codd said.
"This is a very tragic and heartbreaking situation and our hearts go out to the family of the young woman who died here today and all those who know and care about her," Codd told reporters.
Authorities said they are also investigating how the crash happened.
The incident left the westbound lanes of Griffin Road from Pine Island Road to the 8800 block of Griffin Road shut down. Orange Drive was also shut down between the 8700 and 8800 blocks, BSO said.
Griffin Road will reopen soon, but Orange Drive is likely stay closed for awhile, authorities said.
