The woman’s husband made three dives into the cold, dark water to save her, but his attempts were unsuccessful, the Clinton County sheriff said.
BREESE, Ill. — A woman died and her husband was injured early Sunday morning after their car veered off the road and landed upside-down in a pond in Clinton County.
According to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call came in at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday reporting a crash near 15028 Rod and Gun Road in Breese, Illinois. The caller said the vehicle failed to navigate a curve, causing it to leave the road and enter the pond.
Inside the car were 59-year-old Susan Hilmes, who was driving, and her husband, a 65-year-old man from Breese. The vehicle was upside-down upon impact, leaving only its rear tires above the water, the sheriff’s office said. Her husband was able to free himself from the car and took three dives into the cold, dark water to save her. After being unsuccessful, the man ran to a nearby home for help.
First responders arrived to find the car submerged in the pond and a downed power line resting near the vehicle. Clinton County Electric was dispatched to help make the scene safe, and Breese firefighters went into the pond and freed the woman from her seatbelt and then the vehicle.
Hilmes was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her husband was also taken to the hospital to be evaluated for injuries, according to the sheriff’s office.
“As the sheriff, I, along with those in my office, give our heartfelt condolence’s to Susan’s family and friends after this tragic loss,” Clinton County Sheriff Dan Travois wrote in a news release. “I would also like to give my heartfelt thanks to all of those who did everything possible to try and save Susan. The conditions were absolutely brutal (Sunday) morning, and your efforts were nothing short of heroic.”