Man Lucky to Survive When Vehicle Becomes Submerged Salt Creek During Storm Near Arlington Park Racetrack, Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 10:30 PM Friday to a report of a crash in the west Euclid Avenue driveway of Arlington Park racetrack at 42.089325, -88.017960 (2200 West Euclid Avenue Arlington Heights, IL). Police and firefighter/paramedics discovered that a sedan was swept into the water, but that the male driver was able to crawl out of the vehicle window and escape on his own.

A witness reported that a man drove south on the driveway on the west side of Arlington Park racetrack property to leave the property during heavy rain with obscured visibility. The male driver found that the gates had closed. He backed up and was making a three-point turn, pointing the back end of his sedan toward the Salt Creek that runs in the median of the boulevard type driveway.

Rapid water had risen, almost overflowing onto the driveway, and the rear wheels of the sedan sank into the bank of the Salt Creek. The rapid water then carried the sedan with the driver inside, floating about 250 feet or 83 yards south along the Salt Creek. The driver was able to get himself out a window of the vehicle and rescue himself to shore.

The driver was not injured.

Police and firefighter/paramedics arrived to find the man was already out of the vehicle. Because of the rapid water, and since there was no rescue; firefighter/paramedics decided to hold off on towing the vehicle out of the creek until the rapid waters calmed down.

The vehicle removal operations began Sunday morning about 9:45 a.m. Sunday. The vehicle was lifted out of the creek with a Hillside Heavy Rescue Tow Boom after Arlington Heights firefighters connected and secured the vehicle to the boom.

The driver was not charged with any crime, and there were no traffic citations issued.

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