Driver rescued after car comes to rest in icy stormwater management pond beside Jiffy Mart in Westminster

An incident on Littlestown Pike at the intersection of Magna Way in Westminster, near the Carroll County Regional Airport, came to an abrupt, icy conclusion Wednesday afternoon when a late model sedan plunged into the ice-covered stormwater management pond next to a convenience store.

The car and its driver were partially submerged in the frigid pond for a short period of time before Westminster police officers, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and emergency personnel from the Westminster Fire Department could extricate the driver, who was taken to Carroll Hospital for evaluation and observation.

The Carroll County Emergency Communications Center dispatched a call at 1:10 p.m. to first responders for an “inland water rescue” at 1 Magna Way at the Jiffy Mart. Upon arrival, emergency personnel found a car resting in the stormwater management pond.

The first Westminster police officer on the scene, Alex DeAngelis, waded into the icy waters to free the elderly motorist, according to Westminster Lt. Steve Launchi, the incident commander on the scene, recounting what he learned from witnesses.

Despite deep mud and water above his knees, DeAngelis was able to open the car door where he found the accident victim, dazed, confused, and unresponsive, as water continued to flow into the car, according to Lauchi. DeAngelis removed the motorist as the car slid farther into the water.

With the assistance of Westminster Police officer Isaac Stiffler and Sheriff’s Office deputy Tim Lookingbill, emergency personnel returned the accident victim to the safety of a waiting Westminster Fire Department ambulance.

There were no reported injuries to the emergency personnel, with the exception of the exposure to below-freezing temperatures and complications from wading into the pond.

Moments before the incident was called in, the vehicle was reported to have been traveling southbound, when for reasons still under investigation, the car entered the intersection of Magna Way and Littlestown Pike at a high rate of speed, based on preliminary investigation. The driver subsequently appeared to lose control of the vehicle as it crossed the intersection, left the highway, and traveled overland into the parking lot at Jiffy Mart, where it clipped the rear of a parked utility van.

The automobile then continued, just missing gas pumps, across the parking lot and down an embankment where it entered the pond with considerable force, damaging the vehicle, and trapping the driver inside. Launchi said the accident is under investigation.

No charges had been filed as of Thursday afternoon, according to Westminster Police Maj. Pete Dantuono. There was no update on the driver’s condition.