Vehicle knocked into the Yadkin River by train has been recovered; search underway for vehicle owner
The vehicle that was knocked into the Yadkin River on Jan.14 near the Wilcox Bridge in Davidson County has been recovered by emergency workers, but was empty when found, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Now a search is underway Friday, Jan. 21, by the Davidson County Sheriff's Department for the vehicle's registered owner, William Franklin Head, said Sheriff Richie Simmon. A missing person report for Head was filed earlier with Greensboro police, Simmons continued.
Head's 2011 Chevrolet HHR was pulled from the Yadkin River near the Wilcox Bridge on Thursday, Jan. 20, said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper Ned Moultrie.
A retired N.C.Wildlife officer and avid fisherman who lives in Rowan County found the vehicle on Tuesday, Jan. 18 using sonar technology, and alerted the Davidson County 911 operation center. More on that later.
The Rowan County Rescue Squad Dive Team assisted on Jan. 14 in trying to find and recover the vehicle. Calls to the agency seeking more information were not returned.
The incident began on the night of Friday, Jan. 14 when a Norfolk Southern Train struck the Chevrolet HHR, which was parked too close to the railroad tracks, knocking it into the river, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Water rescue divers spent hours Friday night, Jan. 14, in the frigid water trying to locate the car, but could not find it. The search was called off due to the impending winter weather and resumed this week.
Anthony Sharum, a retired Wildlife officer and an avid fisherman who lives in Rowan County, located Head's HHR in the river using a Garmin Livescope. The device uses sonar to help fishermen see movement, such as fish under the water.
This is the ninth car Sharum has found in waterways using the Garmin Livescope, he said.
"I heard about the accident and was going to the area anyway on Tuesday," Sharum said. "I found the vehicle and called the Davidson County 911 Center with the GPS coordinates."
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He used his boat to take the sheriff's department and highway patrol personnel to the sunk Chevrolet HHR. Members of the dive team from the Durham County Sheriff's Office came to the scene Thursday, Sharum said, and he went out to watch them recover the vehicle.
"I was impressed with the response from all the emergency officials," he said. "That is a dangerous spot in the river with the current — it's swift — and the water temperatures to put people in the water now. There are all kinds of things to get snagged and caught on below the water."
Simmons said the Davidson County Sheriff's Department is using all the resources it can to try to locate Head if he is in Davidson County, or determine if anyone was inside the car when it was knocked into the river.
"We're trying to locate the black box that is in vehicles to download information to see if anyone was sitting in the vehicle when it was struck," he said.
More: Lexington man dies after car he is a passenger in struck by truck
Jill Doss-Raines is The Dispatch trending topics and personality profiles senior reporter and is always looking for tips about businesses and entertainment events, secret and new menu items, and interesting people in Davidson County. Contact me at jill.doss-raines@the-dispatch.com and subscribe to us at the-dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: Vehicle hit by train and knocked into river in Davidson County found, but empty; search underway for car owner
