Four people died and a fifth person was hospitalized after a car crashed into Mill Creek near the Western Hills Viaduct on Aug. 15.
Witnesses called 911 around 6 p.m. after seeing a car underwater in the creek with people inside, according to the Cincinnati Fire Department.
Here's what we know about the crash.
Where did the crash happen?
Firefighters found a black 2019 Infiniti Q50 upside-down in Mill Creek at the dead end of Queen City Avenue, just north of the Western Hills Viaduct in North Fairmount.
Police said the vehicle was traveling east on Queen City Avenue when it struck a guardrail at the dead end of the roadway and dropped into the creek below.
Who survived the crash?
A 27-year-old woman was found sitting on the small portion of the vehicle that remained above water. She told firefighters
four people were still inside the car and had been in the water for about an hour.
She was taken to shore by boat and transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with minor injuries.
Who were the victims?
Two firefighters entered the water to check the vehicle and helped remove four males from the car.
The four victims have not been identified.
"Unfortunately, due to the amount of time they had been submerged prior to calls for help, none of the four survived," District Fire Chief Nathaniel Cash said.
How did rescuers reach the submerged vehicle?
First-arriving firefighters had difficulty reaching the car because the creek bank was too steep and the water was too deep to wade through.
Crews used ropes and an inflatable boat to access the vehicle. About 30 firefighters, including Cincinnati Heavy Rescue #09 and #14, responded to the scene.
The vehicle was pulled from the creek around 10 p.m.
What caused the crash and what remains under investigation?
Police said impairment and excessive speed are being investigated as possible factors in the crash. Investigators also said seatbelts were not utilized.
It remains unclear who was driving the vehicle and exactly how the crash occurred before the car entered the creek.
What we don't know
Officials have not released identities of the four male victims, nor their causes or manners of death. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office generally does not release that information until after the weekend.
The surviving female victim told firefighters whey they arrived that the car had been in the water for about an hour. It is unclear why it took first responders that amount of time to arrive after the car plunged into the creek.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Four die after car plunges into Mill Creek. What we know
