Driver injured after car plunges into Layton creek

A man was injured Wednesday night after a two-vehicle accident knocked his car down an embankment and into a 6-foot deep creek in Layton.

Layton Fire Battalion Chief Scott Maughan said the man was involved about 6 p.m. in an accident on Gordon Drive and somehow the man, who appeared to be in his 60s or 70s, ended up driving over the edge of a hill and down into the creek.

Maughan said the man smashed into the creek bottom, but the impact caused the nose of his car to pop back up out of the water so that only the tail was submerged. He said the car's position kept the man out of the water while rescuers worked to free him.

Maughan said it took rescue crews with Syracuse and Layton about 45 minutes to extricate the man and load him onto a stretcher so he could be pulled up the hill to safety.

He said the man was conscious and alert, but confused, and had suffered a head injury. He was transported to an Ogden hospital, but his condition wasn't immediately known.

Maughan said the man was lucky several bystanders saw his car go over because the vehicle ended up in a spot that could not be easily seen from the roadway.

He said several tow trucks had to be called to pull the car out of the creek.

jstecklein@sltrib.com

Twitter @sltribjanelle