SUV seen on video racing off Virginia Beach pier finally recovered, one body found inside
The SUV that was captured in dramatic video speeding down a Virginia Beach pier and into the ocean was finally recovered Friday nearly a week after the incident — and one body was found inside, police said.
The sole occupant in the red Nissan Kick appeared to be an adult male, the Virginian-Pilot reported, citing police rep Jody Saunders, who did not identify the victim.
No license plates were found on the SUV, according to the outlet. The spot in the rear where a plate would be located was no longer attached to the vehicle, Saunders said.
Earlier this week, police said a man who had been reported missing may be connected to the incident, but authorities have not released the person’s name or additional details in that case.
Rough conditions made it impossible earlier for divers to safely recover the SUV, which flew off the pier Saturday and landed upside down about 17 feet beneath the choppy surface.
The recovery effort resumed early Friday when calm conditions finally provided a window of opportunity.
A crane barge lifted the Nissan, still upside down, out of the water and onto the vessel, where workers covered it with a tarp while onlookers gawked from the boardwalk.
The barge was positioned at the end of the pier as police and the medical examiner arrived.
Saunders said the vehicle was located using sonar after shifting to the northwest “out and around the pier,” the Virginian-Pilot reported.
The 74-year-old wooden fishing pier runs about 650 feet over the water between 14th and 15th streets.
The SUV was caught on video barreling across the sidewalk toward the pier barrier, almost slamming into a pedestrian.
It was then seen speeding along the pier with its brake lights blinking sporadically before flying into the water.
Other footage captured by the Chesapeake Fire Department’s remotely operated vehicle showed the vehicle submerged in the murky depths.
