One man is dead after driving his vehicle over an embankment and crashing into Pineview Reservoir on Thursday evening.

Authorities at the Utah Highway Patrol told the Standard-Examiner that they had received multiple calls reporting a reckless driver in the area around Ogden Valley, beginning around 4 p.m. Thursday. Officers were dispatched in an attempt to intercept the vehicle; however, snow conditions prevented them from reaching it before a witness saw the car plunge into the reservoir approximately 30 minutes later.

Search and rescue officers from Weber County were dispatched to make a water recovery of the body, as well as the vehicle.

The Weber County Sheriff’s Office told the Standard-Examiner that the process was difficult as rescuers had to traverse the 30- to 40-foot embankment to get down to the reservoir, much of which has been iced over. Divers were assisted in getting to the area of the vehicle by technical climbers and a rope system.

An airboat also was utilized to aid rescuers in crossing the icy reservoir to reach the body and the vehicle, which was pulled out of the water by a tow truck.

The identity of the male driver has not yet been confirmed by authorities. Nor has the root cause of the crash or the incidents leading up to it. Investigations into the matter are ongoing across multiple jurisdictions.

Officials are investigating whether the driver may have gone into the reservoir intentionally.

“That will be part of our investigation,” Sgt. Cameron Roden of the UHP told the Standard-Examiner. “I don’t know that they have reached that conclusion yet. But that will be an aspect that we look at.”

Police did confirm that the same vehicle was involved in a “minor” hit-and-run accident in the area of 12th Street and Harrison Boulevard, rear-ending another vehicle before continuing eastward on state Route 39 toward Ogden Canyon.

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