A University student and his 2006 BMW sedan landed in a canal below street level near downtown Eugene last Thursday after a vehicle collision, police said.
University art major Wan-Ting Chan, 20, said he was stopped at a stop sign at 17th Avenue and was trying to cross two-lane, southbound-only Pearl Street.
“The car in the first lane stopped to let me go through,” he said. “I slowly moved through.”
A Honda van then struck Chan’s BMW, and the car landed 15 feet below and 40 feet away from the street, Eugene police spokeswoman Kerry Delf said. The car sat in a pool of water on all four wheels.
Delf said the driver of the van was obeying the speed limit and tried to brake to avoid the collision.
A fireman helped him out of the canal with a ladder, Chan said.
A 45-ton truck from a local towing company lifted the BMW out of the canal, Delf said. Chan was cited for careless driving and failure to carry a valid driver’s license. No major injuries were reported.