Woman dies after car plunges into Columbia River

CORBETT, Ore. - A speeding car plunged off Interstate 84 into the Columbia River Saturday afternoon, killing the driver.

Police identified her as 51-year-old Kanak V. Patel of The Dalles.

Witnesses said Patel was driving a blue 2005 Acura TL about 75 mph or 80 mph while heading toward Portland when the crash occurred shortly before 2:30 p.m. about a mile east of Corbett.

According to Oregon State Police, the Acura was changing from the fast lane to the slow lane when the driver apparently lost control. The car went onto the right shoulder into a gravel median and then went airborne. It struck a metal guardrail before dropping down a steep rock embankment into the river.

By the time passing motorists and nearby fishermen got to the scene, the Acura had already disappeared under the water, police said.

The car became submerged upsided down in about 10 to 12 feet of water just off the shore.

Police believe she was alone in the car. The water temperature was in the low 40s. Divers helped recover her body and the vehicle.

Officials shut down part of the westbound lanes of I-84 for several hours so state police could investigate the crash.