Reckless driving on winter ice resulted in one driver in the Gulbene area finding his car at the bottom of a body of water. Although the driver fled the scene, local residents already have a fairly clear version of who was involved in this unfortunate drive, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
Many people gathered at Sudalēzers to watch as rescuers attempted to retrieve a car from the bottom of the lake. The operation took about six and a half hours before the vehicle was brought ashore.
"The car was located about 70 meters from the shore and at a depth of about five meters. At the scene, rescuers cut a hole in the ice to secure the straps. Divers were also involved to secure the car for its lift to the shore," said Sandra Veinīte, a representative of the Vidzeme Regional Department of the State Fire and Rescue Service.
Firefighters informed the State Environmental Service about the incident; however, no additional circumstances, such as hazardous cargo, were found at the scene, so the service will not investigate this case further. The Degpunktā program contacted the Gulbene municipality to find out whether vehicles are allowed on this body of water.
"In principle, there is no separate order in the region prohibiting access to any body of water, but each citizen must assess the safety and permissibility of such actions themselves. We cannot stand by every one of them. There are so many bodies of water that either we need to categorically prohibit everyone, or it is difficult to specify which are allowed and which are not," explained Gunars Babris, the deputy chairman of the Gulbene municipality.
The car was abandoned right in the lake, and there was no one nearby who could claim ownership or who had driven onto the ice. However, current information indicates that the car's owner works in the Gulbene municipality. His Instagram profile shows that the man has previously enjoyed driving on ice.
"There are unofficial rumors that the car belongs to a deputy and that he was behind the wheel himself. (Degpunktā: Will anyone be held accountable for the car falling through the ice, or not?) I believe we have enough competent services — both the police and the environmental service — who will assess the seriousness of the violation and any damage to nature, if there is any, and hold the guilty party accountable," stated Gunars Babris, the deputy chairman of the Gulbene municipality.
Now law enforcement must determine whether the driver intentionally drove onto the ice or if a technical malfunction caused the vehicle to end up in the lake.
