Trending Topics

‘What’s up, man?': Watch N.C. firefighters rescue driver trapped in pond

Charlotte Fire responded to reports of a pickup truck that lost control, and entered a retention pond, where the driver climbed into the truck bed as it began taking on water

By Mark Price
The Herald-Sun

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dozens of snow-related crashes were reported in Charlotte Saturday, and among the more unusual was one involving a pickup that ended up largely submerged in a neighborhood retention pond.

The crash happened just after 7:30 p.m. Saturday, in a subdivision near the intersection of Jerimoth and Cuddington drives in east Charlotte.

| MORE: Go/no-go technical rescue: A swiftwater scenario

“Fire communications received calls reporting a pickup truck had lost control, left the roadway, and entered a retention pond. Callers advised that the driver had exited the cab as it took on water and was standing in the bed of the truck,” the fire department reported on social media.

Sure enough, photos show firefighters arrived to see a sunken pickup with the headlines still on, and the driver standing atop a truck bed cover in the dark.

A fire department ladder truck was summoned to keep a light on the driver as firefighters stood in heavy snow, trying to inflate a life raft, photos show.

“Firefighters made contact with the driver and successfully freed the patient at approximately 8:25 p.m.,” officials said. “The patient was treated on scene. No additional injuries were reported.”

The driver’s identity and details of the injuries was not released.

The crash happened at the height of a snowstorm that resulted in 6 to 12 inches of snow falling in Charlotte, and higher accumulations north of the city, the National Weather Service says.

Medic Ambulance reports it responded to 52 crashes Saturday during the storm.

Trending
An FDNY tower ladder responding to an emergency collided with a commercial van in Brooklyn, setting off a chain-reaction crash involving an Access-a-Ride bus and an SUV
Authorities say an armed man rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township before being fatally shot by security
Richlandtown Fire Police Officer Todd Koch died after suffering a respiratory emergency and cardiac arrest while responding to a call
A bill that would let unions negotiate earlier retirement and higher pension caps for newly hired public safety workers is drawing support from labor groups and warnings from local governments over rising costs

© 2026 The Herald-Sun (Durham, N.C.).
Visit www.heraldsun.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
First Due earned a spot on the 2026 GovTech 100 for the second consecutive year, recognizing its AI-powered, all-in-one platform supporting fire and EMS operations