TOWN OF LIBERTY GROVE (NBC 26) — One person is dead after a car went off the Washington Island Ferry dock Thursday night, according to the Door County Sheriff's Office.
Just after 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, deputies responded to reports of a vehicle that went off the Washington Island Ferry dock in the town of Liberty Grove.
Deputies say the driver of a 2019 Lincoln SUV was traveling north on State Highway 42, when they approached the ferry dock, and the vehicle went into the water for some reason.
The driver was the only person in the SUV and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities say they'll release more details about the driver once family members have been notified.
Deputies say this incident remains under investigation.
(The following is the transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details added for web)
Here at the Northport Pier, cars and people are lined up to get onto the ferry for a fun day trip to Washington Island. But Thursday night — what Door County Sheriff's Office is calling a "fatal accident." A car traveling right here on State Trunk Highway 42 drove onto the pier, directly to the edge, and then over the edge, into the water.
Around 7:20 p.m., an SUV drove past the ticket booth, down the center of the pier to the end, and then tipped forward over the edge into Lake Michigan.
"From what I saw on the video, the brake lights were on, and then the vehicle went down," Sheriff's Office Captain Carl Waterstreet said. "So I don't exactly know how fast or at what angle, or whatever."
Waterstreet says the one person in the car died.
He says a dive team pulled the car out of the water around 3 a.m. Friday, after the pier was closed for seven hours.
Longtime Washington Island local Corey Anders says the water at the below the ferry dock is deep.
"Deep enough to not notice a car down there," said Anders, who owns a lodge and bike rental business on the island.
Anders said he feels for the victim's loved ones.
"[There's] obviously going to probably have some family out there," Anders said. "So the folks from Washington Island — definitely our thoughts and prayers go out to those guys."
Other locals were surprised by what happened.
"Sounded pretty bad," Egg Harbor resident George Joeckel said. "It's kind of unusual. And I guess it was around, what, 7:00 at night, or 7:30 at night? So it wasn't like 3 a.m. or something."
Deputies say people have driven off piers before — especially those without barriers, like Northport — and to stay vigilant.
"Just be careful at night while you're driving," Waterstreet said. "Just pay attention to your surroundings. "
The Sheriff's Office says it's awaiting information from the Brown County Medical Examiner's Office before it releases additional details into the investigation.
