Merced County deputies investigating body found inside vehicle at California Aqueduct

Merced County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating after body was found on Saturday night inside a car, submerged in the waters of the California Aqueduct.

Dive team members responded to the area of Interstate 5 about a mile north of Highway 152 near Los Banos to assist the California Highway Patrol in locating the vehicle.

At about 7:45 p.m., CHP officers responded to a report of a vehicle that left the roadway and went into the California Aqueduct, according to CHP Officer Shannon Stiers.

Dive team members located the submerged vehicle with a deceased woman inside, according to Deputy Alexandra Britton.=

When officers arrived on scene, they also located a power pole that had been struck and lines were down.

Authorities said PG&E responded to the scene.

Stiers said the vehicle is believed to have been traveling northbound on Interstate 5 just north of Highway 152. Witnesses told police that they observed the vehicle, a red 2018 Audi registered out of Walnut Creek, changing lanes several times prior to the collision. The Merced County Sheriff’s Office dive team responded later that evening and located the vehicle in the canal.

According to Stiers, the cause of the collision remains under investigation. The name of the woman has not been released pending notification of family.